Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Swinburne on 25 September (HL10097), what steps they have taken to ensure that local authorities have up to date local plans in place; and how many authorities are yet to submit their plans.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that up-to-date local plans should provide a framework for addressing housing needs and other economic, social and environmental priorities.
As of the end of October 2023, 326 local planning authorities have an adopted local plan (under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004). 219 local planning authorities have an adopted local plan that is over five years old, of which 91 have begun a consultation on a new plan and 43 have submitted a new local plan for examination. 12 have no adopted local plan, of which 5 have submitted their first local plan for examination.
The Government’s priority for getting up to date plans in place has not changed and we have been clear that local planning authorities should continue to progress their plans.
The Government funds the Planning Advisory Service which has a team of planning specialists who can give advice and support to local planning authorities on the local plan process.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of local authorities who have up to date local plans; and what steps they plan to take to encourage local authorities who have not yet submitted their local plans to do so.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Information on the status of Local Plans is published by the Planning Inspectorate at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-plan-monitoring-progress.
The Government has been very clear that all local authorities should have a plan in place.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Local Housing Allowance rates on the supply of affordable housing.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the noble Lady to the answer to Question UIN to 117908 (attached) on 16 January.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the impact of freezing Local Housing Allowance rates on expenditure by local authorities on temporary accommodation for those unable to sustain their private tenancies.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The causes of homelessness are complex, and it is driven by a range of factors including changes to household income. The Government is committed to preventing homelessness where possible. We have announced the allocation of £654 million in funding through the Homelessness Prevention Grant that will be made available to local authorities in 2023/24 and 2024/25. This investment builds on the £366 million in funding already available to local authorities through the Homelessness Prevention Grant for 2022/23.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support more small and medium sized building firms to enter the housing market; and what form any such support will take.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government is supporting SME housebuilders through the Levelling Up Home Building Fund. The Fund provides development finance to SMEs to build new homes. This includes loans to SMEs as well as funding partnerships with banks and other investors to leverage private capital and support more SMEs. The Fund will enable new SMEs to enter the market and grow their businesses, supporting SMEs who can struggle to access commercial lending.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that planning reforms are implemented with due regard for (1) the needs of employers, local economies and the skills system; and (2) the levelling up agenda.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
As we made clear through the Levelling-Up White Paper, reform of the planning system can play an important role in supporting local economies, spreading prosperity, and regenerating left-behind places. It made a number of specific commitments including reform of compulsory purchase, employment land policy and infrastructure planning. An announcement on planning reform more widely will be made in due course, including the timing and scope of any legislation required.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a standardised UK-wide Tree Preservation Order mapping system and data set for local authorities; and if not, whether they have plans to establish one.
Answered by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist
Tree Preservation Orders and planning are devolved to local authorities. We expect each local authority in England to record the location of amenity trees it decides to protect with Tree Preservation Orders. As decisions on individual trees are a local matter, there are no plans to introduce a national dataset.
Looking forward, Local Nature Recovery Strategies provided for in the Environment Bill will map out the priorities for sustainable nature recovery across landscapes, including new woodland and hedgerow trees. The Bill also includes measures to require local consultation before street trees are removed, and will enable local authorities to require developers to secure net gain for biodiversity, including tree-planting and green space, when planning permissions are granted.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether local authority planners have access to a UK-wide database to identify land available for tree planting and natural regeneration; and how long that land is available for.
Answered by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist
Tree Preservation Orders and planning are devolved to local authorities. We expect each local authority in England to record the location of amenity trees it decides to protect with Tree Preservation Orders. As decisions on individual trees are a local matter, there are no plans to introduce a national dataset.
Looking forward, Local Nature Recovery Strategies provided for in the Environment Bill will map out the priorities for sustainable nature recovery across landscapes, including new woodland and hedgerow trees. The Bill also includes measures to require local consultation before street trees are removed, and will enable local authorities to require developers to secure net gain for biodiversity, including tree-planting and green space, when planning permissions are granted.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they have given local authorities regarding the percentage of parking spaces in new developments which should be required to have charging points for electric vehicles.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The National Planning Policy Framework states that developments should, where practical, incorporate facilities for charging plug-in and other ultra-low emission vehicles. The level of parking provision in new developments is a decision for local planning authorities to make. Local Planning authorities should use the Framework, supporting planning guidance and local uptake of vehicles when making these decisions. As use of this technology grows, there are permitted development rights available for the installation of wall mounted and free-standing electric vehicle charging points in off-street parking areas.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is being done to increase the number of specially adapted homes in (1) North Lincolnshire, and (2) nationally, so that those with complex care needs can live independently for longer.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Since 2011 the Government has invested over a billion pounds into the Disabled Facilities Grant to fund adaptations to disabled people’s homes to help them live independently and safely at home for longer. This provides for around 40,000 adaptations each year and around 200,000 homes have been adapted since 2010. North Lincolnshire has received £5,143,717 of this funding over this period. Future funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant will rise to over £500 million in 2019-20.
The Government is also providing specialised housing for disabled and older people through the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund and the Affordable Homes Programme and these will deliver 24 specialised homes in North Lincolnshire between 2011 – 2018.
In the Spending Review we have committed to £400 million of funding to deliver 8,000 specialist homes for the vulnerable, elderly or those with disabilities. A commitment to funding from Department of Health could deliver up to a further 7,500 homes over the Spending Review.