Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the Marches LEP plans to release the £5.7 million of Phase 2 funding allocated by the Government for the New Model in Technology and Engineering university project in Herefordshire.
Answered by Jake Berry
The award of Growth Deal 3 funding was announced in March 2017 providing a boost of £21.9 million for the Marches area, aimed at helping to create jobs, support businesses and encourage growth. This tranche of funding was expected to deliver a number of projects, which included proposals to provide capital support to the New Model in Technology and Engineering (NMiTE) University project in Herefordshire.
Since the deal was agreed, the Marches Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) have been working with the NMiTE project to refine their proposal, further develop their business case, and engage with wider stakeholders. The LEP also provided development funding to the project to support the completion of the business case.
In October 2017, the Department for Education announced a further £15 million to support development of the faculty, campus and curriculum. Following this agreement, the NMITE project were able to develop their proposal further and in Autumn of 2018 a location for the first phase of development was identified.
This was followed in October 2019 by LEP confirmation of £2.34 million investment to fund the transformation of a former school into facilities for Hereford’s proposed new university.
The LEP continue to work with the NMiTE project as a member of their board and governance structure. The LEP have recently received a business case for the second phase of development, and discussions aimed at agreeing the next tranche of funding are ongoing.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Department is taking to support sustainable house-building.
Answered by Esther McVey
The Department is committed to increasing the sustainability of new homes.
On 1 October the government launched a consultation on stronger building regulations that will pave the way for the Future Homes Standard. These 2020 changes aim to cut carbon emissions in new homes by almost a third, while keeping household bills low.
We propose that new homes built to the Future Homes Standard from 2025 should have 75-80 per cent fewer carbon dioxide emissions than ones built to current building regulations standards. Developers will be expected to use new technologies such as air source heat pumps and the latest generation of solar panels.
A further consultation will follow, in the coming months, proposing changes to the energy efficiency standards for non-domestic buildings and existing homes; and on preventing overheating in new buildings.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework, re-issued February 2019, expects local planning authorities to plan for climate change. Local authorities should take account of how new developments will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as through its location, orientation and design. Local authorities should also adopt proactive strategies to adapt to climate change. Planning practice guidance provides advice for local authorities and applicants on implementing these policies.
The National Planning Policy Framework also supports sustainability more broadly and will help deliver the 25 Year Environment Plan, and the Clean Air Strategy. For example, the Framework retains strong and appropriate protections for the natural environment and expects local authorities to require developers to include green infrastructure in housing and commercial developments. The 25 Year Environment Plan commands strong public support and helps ensure new housing is built sustainably.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to support Community Land Trusts in making homes more affordable.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government supports the community-led housebuilding sector – of which community land trusts are an important part – through the annual £60 million Community Housing Fund. The Fund is delivered outside London by Homes England and within London by the Greater London Authority. Capital and revenue grants are available to community-based groups wishing to take forward schemes to build locally affordable housing. Through the Fund, the Government is also supporting a consortium of the major stakeholder groups (including the National Community Land Trust Network) to develop a network of technical advisors to support community-based groups though the process of developing their housebuilding schemes.
The Community Housing Fund is currently scheduled to close in March 2020. Decisions on funding for 2020-21 onwards are a matter for the Spending Review, which will take place this year.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to increase the amount of green space in cities.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Our National Planning Policy Framework states that planning policies and decisions should plan positively for the provision of open space, and that a network of high-quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity is important for the health and well-being of communities. In addition, through local or neighbourhood plans, communities can identify for protection Local Green Spaces of particular local importance. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has consulted on how a system of biodiversity net gain might be introduced through the planning system, which could also contribute to green space in cities. The responses to that consultation are being considered at present.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce building on green field sites.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Last year we revised the National Planning Policy Framework. Its policies place much stronger emphasis on making effective use of land, with authorities expected to make as much use as possible of suitable brownfield and under-used sites, and optimise densities where there is a shortage of land for meeting identified needs. The Framework is supported by permitted development rights to allow appropriate re-use of existing buildings, and the requirement for every authority to publish and maintain a register of brownfield land suitable for housing. The £4.5 billion Home Building Fund provides support for new housing, much of it on brownfield land.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to ensure the adequacy of the powers of local authorities to maintain the safety of residential properties which have suffered four fires in the course of twelve months.
Answered by Dominic Raab
Local authorities have strong and effective powers to deal with poor quality unsafe accommodation and they have a statutory duty to keep housing conditions in their areas under review. They should take enforcement action against owners of buildings in their areas that are not acting responsibly in respect of hazards, and we encourage them to use these powers to the fullest to ensure residents are safe.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the cost to local authorities of their duty to advertise in local print media rather than the just online.
Answered by Rishi Sunak
There are over 600 requirements to publish statutory notices in one or more local newspapers circulating in the area of where the order relates is situated. Each Government Department has its own requirements, examples of which include planning notices, traffic orders and alcohol licensing notices. Some, like Planning Notices or Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders, must be publicised on a frequent basis. There is no single place to find the legislation for Statutory Notices. Each Notice has its own piece of either primary or secondary legislation.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what statutory requirements rest on local authorities with regard to having to advertise in local print media.
Answered by Rishi Sunak
There are over 600 requirements to publish statutory notices in one or more local newspapers circulating in the area of where the order relates is situated. Each Government Department has its own requirements, examples of which include planning notices, traffic orders and alcohol licensing notices. Some, like Planning Notices or Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders, must be publicised on a frequent basis. There is no single place to find the legislation for Statutory Notices. Each Notice has its own piece of either primary or secondary legislation.