Asked by: Lord Grayling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2024 to Question 9443 on Local Plans: Green Belt, what steps he is taking to ensure that planning inspectors apply the provisions of the new National Planning Policy Framework in their decisions.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Secretary of State appoints an independent Planning Inspector to examine a revised Local Plan (including any Green Belt boundary change) and check that it is legally compliant and sound. Plans must be positively prepared, justified, effective, and consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework. If requested by the local authority, Inspectors may recommend modifications to the Plan they consider necessary for it to be sound. The Framework is not law, simply requiring compliance: examining Inspectors have regard to its policies insofar as they are a material consideration.
As Annex 1 makes clear, the revised Framework will come into effect where a revised Plan reaches pre-submission stage after 19 March 2024. However, for the purposes of determining planning applications, the new Framework’s policies came into effect on 19 December 2023.
The Secretary of State has a range of intervention powers available to him in relation to the Plan-making process. Decisions to intervene are exceptional and made on a case-by-case basis once all the facts and any relevant legal advice have been considered.
Asked by: Lord Grayling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2023 to Question 9443 on Local Plans: Green Belt, whether he has powers to intervene should a planning inspector require a local authority to build housing on a designated green belt site.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Secretary of State appoints an independent Planning Inspector to examine a revised Local Plan (including any Green Belt boundary change) and check that it is legally compliant and sound. Plans must be positively prepared, justified, effective, and consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework. If requested by the local authority, Inspectors may recommend modifications to the Plan they consider necessary for it to be sound. The Framework is not law, simply requiring compliance: examining Inspectors have regard to its policies insofar as they are a material consideration.
As Annex 1 makes clear, the revised Framework will come into effect where a revised Plan reaches pre-submission stage after 19 March 2024. However, for the purposes of determining planning applications, the new Framework’s policies came into effect on 19 December 2023.
The Secretary of State has a range of intervention powers available to him in relation to the Plan-making process. Decisions to intervene are exceptional and made on a case-by-case basis once all the facts and any relevant legal advice have been considered.
Asked by: Lord Grayling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reasons can a planning inspector overrule a local council's housing plan.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Secretary of State appoints an independent Planning Inspector to examine a revised Local Plan (including any Green Belt boundary change) and check that it is legally compliant and sound. Plans must be positively prepared, justified, effective, and consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework. If requested by the local authority, Inspectors may recommend modifications to the Plan they consider necessary for it to be sound. The Framework is not law, simply requiring compliance: examining Inspectors have regard to its policies insofar as they are a material consideration.
As Annex 1 makes clear, the revised Framework will come into effect where a revised Plan reaches pre-submission stage after 19 March 2024. However, for the purposes of determining planning applications, the new Framework’s policies came into effect on 19 December 2023.
The Secretary of State has a range of intervention powers available to him in relation to the Plan-making process. Decisions to intervene are exceptional and made on a case-by-case basis once all the facts and any relevant legal advice have been considered.
Asked by: Lord Grayling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has issued guidance to planning inspectors on the applicability of Section 13 of the National Planning Policy Framework on Protecting the Green Belt if draft local plans have not made sufficient provision for new housing.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The National Planning Policy Framework now makes clear that there is no requirement to alter Green Belt boundaries to provide housing land.
Asked by: Lord Grayling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 20 December 2023, what steps he is taking to help planning inspectors ensure existing green belt boundaries when considering draft local plans.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The National Planning Policy Framework now makes clear that there is no requirement to alter Green Belt boundaries to provide housing land.
Asked by: Lord Grayling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if it is his policy to extend the £350 payment to host families of Ukrainian refugees under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme to those UK hosts hosting their own Ukrainian family members in the UK.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The 'thank you' payments are only available to those sponsoring guests via the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. Further information can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-scheme-frequently-asked-questions.
Asked by: Lord Grayling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he expects local authorities to have funding in place to provide the planned cost of living rebates to council tax payers.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The Government made payments to councils on 30 March covering the full allocation for the council tax rebate and discretionary fund. Many councils have already started paying the rebate to households.