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, further to the Written Answer by Lord Greenhalgh on 31 December 2021 (HL4983), whether they considered reactivating section 78 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 for England in light of the Omicron variant; and if so, what were their reasons for not doing so.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
We launched a call for evidence on 25 March to gather views and inform a longer-term decision about whether to make express provision for councils to meet remotely on a permanent basis. The call for evidence closed on 17 June.
The Department has considered the responses to the consultation and the Government will respond in due course.
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, further to the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, whether local government bodies can hold meetings remotely if they choose.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
A High Court judgement handed down on 27 April 2021 confirmed that the Local Government Act 1972 specifies that council meetings must take place in person at a single, specified, geographical location and being “present” at such a meeting involves physical presence at that location.
This judgement confirmed that the regulations which allowed local authorities to meet remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic did not apply to meetings after 6 May 2021.
Any permanent change would require primary legislation, and would depend upon Parliamentary time being available.
Non-statutory or other informal meetings where local authorities deem that in-person attendance is not required can be held virtually.
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 steps they are taking to ensure that recycled rainwater is used in (1) new dwellings, (2) refurbished dwellings, and (3) commercial buildings.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Building Regulations 2010 Parts G & H include requirements relating to water efficiency and grey water harvesting. For new homes, statutory guidance for Part G of the Building Regulations includes a minimum standard for estimated water consumption set at 125 litres per person per day, and an optional standard of 110 litres per person per day, which may be adopted in water stressed areas at the discretion of the local planning authority.
In July 2021, Government responded to its consultation on Measures to Reduce Personal Water Consumption (attached) https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/water-conservation-measures-to-reduce-personal-water-use . Within this consultation response we committed to developing a roadmap, in 2022, towards greater water efficiency in new developments and retrofits, including the exploration of revised building regulations and how the development of new technologies can contribute to meeting these standards. We will ensure that the underlying legislation can, where appropriate, accommodate any potential future expansion of rainwater harvesting, water re-use and storage options.
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 steps they are taking to ensure that all new (1) residential, and (2) commercial, developments have Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems in their designs.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
There is a clear expectation in the National Planning Policy Framework for the provision of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in all new major developments, unless demonstrated to be inappropriate. The Framework also expects SuDS to be given priority in developments in flood risk areas.
Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) sets out further detail on SuDS options that favour non-sewer solutions and recognises the multiple benefits SuDS can provide including mitigating flood risk.
Furthermore, the Government has committed to undertake a review of the case for implementing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 concerning SuDS. This review will look at methods for ensuring that SuDS are incorporated in future developments. The review commenced in October 2021 and is expected to be published in August 2022.
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, further to the report by the Economics Statistics Centre of Excellence Estimating the UK population during the pandemic, published on 14 January, what plans they have to adjust their plans for housing provision as a result of population changes following (1) the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) the UK’s departure from the EU.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Following consultation in August 2020 on proposed changes to the standard method for assessing local housing need, it was apparent that certainty and stability are important for our local communities, local authorities, and developers, especially in light of the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In December, we therefore changed the method to focus greater need into authorities containing the largest proportion of the 20 most populated cities and urban centres in England, while other authorities saw no change compared to the previous method.
It is not yet clear what impact COVID-19 or our departure from the European Union will have on population estimates, if any. However, while we expect local authorities to plan, for a minimum period of 15 years, they can review their plans for housing during this period and must do so at least once every five years. This enables them to take into account changes in circumstances and to ensure policies remain effective.
As with all policies we will monitor the impact of the new standard method, including as any longer-term impact from changes to the way we live and work become clear. Our December announcement enables local areas to get on and plan based on a method and level of ambition that they are familiar with. This ensures that the planning system keeps moving, so it can play its full part in the economic recovery to come.