Business of the House

Andy MacNae Excerpts

Thursday 15th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend raises a crucial issue for his constituents. The Government are committed to ensuring that the £400 billion of taxpayers’ money spent on public procurement each year actively supports British industry. He raises an interesting point, and I will ensure that he gets an update from the relevant Department.

[Andy MacNae (Rossendale and Darwen) (Lab)]

McDermott is building 71 homes in my constituency on a sensitive site in Bacup. The development was originally refused by the council, but was approved on appeal. From the outset, McDermott has been dismissive of planning conditions and residents’ concerns, particularly regarding ecology, site access and road safety. The issues persist, despite a stop notice, three breaches of conditions and magistrates fines, which seem to offer no deterrent at all. The council is left managing numerous complaints, despite having refused the original application, and the community bears the cost of decisions made by a remote inspector in Bristol. Will the Leader of the House agree to a debate on how we can better support local authorities in such situations, and ensure that developers such as McDermott are held accountable when they repeatedly breach planning conditions?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The case my hon. Friend raises does sound concerning. Local planning authorities have a wide range of enforcement powers, and there are strong penalties for non-compliance, including unlimited fines; it is for them ultimately to decide how to take action. However, I hope that the offenders, as it were, have heard what my hon. Friend has said today, and I encourage his local authority to make use of those powers. I will also ask the relevant Minister to write to my hon. Friend, and, following that, he may wish to consider either an Adjournment or a Westminster Hall debate so that he can make his case in more detail.