Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the planning barriers to the installation of significantly scaled battery storage units in England; and what plans they have to boost their rollout.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It is for local authorities to determine planning applications for battery storage installations where development comes forward, taking into account the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) as a material consideration which is clear that the planning system should support our transition to a low carbon future. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, and as part of our programme of changes to the planning system, we will review the NPPF to ensure it contributes to climate change mitigation and adaptation as fully as possible.
The Government's British Energy Security Strategy reflects the importance of flexibility for our energy security.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to support local councils in the protection of individuals who are dependent on life-critical support machines during power blackouts.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer to Question UIN 77488 (attached) on 11 November 2022.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many homes which were adapted for disabled users have been sold under the right to buy programme in the last 20 years; and what was the rate of replacement of these homes, either by (1) construction, or (2) adaptation.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government does not collect statistics on this particular area.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the total reduction in funds available for social housing in England since 2010.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Funding for new build affordable and social housing is made available through the Affordable Homes Programme. Since 2010 there have been 4 main programmes:
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to devolving the control of the social rent cap to local government.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government believes that there is considerable benefit in providing a consistent national framework for calculating maximum rents on Social Rent and Affordable Rent properties, regardless of whether the landlord happens to be local authority or a private registered provider. This framework, although set nationally, takes local factors into account and gives individual social landlords the discretion to set lower rents where they wish to do so.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government which local authorities have submitted expressions of interest for Investment Zones; whether they will publish this information as a map; and which of these sites fall into (1) Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, (2) National Parks, and (3) the Green Belt.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are assessing the proposals received through the recent Expression Of Interest process. Policy announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend (1) planning rules, and (2) other regulations, in national parks included within the boundaries of freeport zones.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
By delivering investment on specific priority sites, Freeports will create thousands of high-quality jobs in some of our most disadvantaged communities. These sites have been carefully selected for their suitability for development by the local Freeport coalition, which comprises key private partners and Local Authorities who, importantly, provide democratic accountability for the actions of the Freeport. The development sites sit within an 'outer boundary' which sets the limit for how far apart they can be and broadly indicates the area they expect to benefit most directly from the Freeport's economic impacts. This in no way means that the area has been earmarked for development nor does this confer any special planning status. Local Authorities retain all their statutory powers and responsibilities, including responsibility for providing planning permission. Freeport status in no way undercuts the local planning process and there is no change to the current planning and environment status of national parks.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the findings of the report by the National Association of Local Councils, What can local councils do on climate change?, published on 25 October 2021.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Town and parish councils have an important role in improving the well-being of their communities and helping them overcome challenges, including climate change. The Government welcomes the 2021 report by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), who we meet regularly with at a ministerial and official level.
The Levelling Up White Paper outlines the UK Government’s plans to set up a Neighbourhood Governance Review to examine the effectiveness of current arrangements and make it easier for local people and community groups to come together to set local priorities and shape the future of their neighbourhoods. As the membership body for parish councils, NALC will be a key stakeholder of this work.