Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of planning applications which were refused on the grounds that the sewerage network or waste water treatment facilities did not have sufficient capacity to service those developments in each of the last five years.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The information requested is not collected by the Department.
The National Planning Policy Framework expects local councils to work with other authorities and providers, such as water and sewerage companies, to assess the quality and capacity of infrastructure and its ability to meet forecast demands. This includes infrastructure for wastewater and its treatment. This should help inform councils’ Local Plans, which should plan positively for the development and infrastructure required in the area. Further information is provided in our on-line planning practice guidance, ‘Water supply, wastewater and water quality’, available at http://planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/guidance/
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many dwellings were built as part of a development that included sustainable drainage systems in England and Wales in each of the last five years;
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The information requested is note collected by the Department. Sustainable drainage systems are delivered locally in line with national planning policy and building regulations. National planning policy in England has clear requirements relating to sustainable drainage systems including that priority should be given to their use if development is considered in areas at risk of flooding. These requirements are underpinned by planning guidance, including guidance on sustainable drainage systems which was strengthened last year. Additionally, developers must comply with the building regulations which give priority to sustainable drainage systems in their hierarchy of arrangements for dealing with rainwater.