Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many locations for new towns he plans to bring to development corporation stage by 2029.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of local authorities whose five year land supply is based on housing targets published in December 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
For the purpose of calculating their five-year housing land supply, local planning authorities with up-to-date local development plans are assessed against their adopted plan requirement.
LPAs without up-to-date development plans are assessed against Local Housing Need, calculated using the revised standard method published in December 2024.
While the Planning Inspectorate may be aware of an authority’s five-year housing land supply position at the time of a specific appeal, this may change over time due to annual updates or as a result of subsequent planning appeal decisions. As such, my Department does not collect live data on the five-year housing land supply position of individual local planning authorities.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities who have begun local plans which will not be submitted by December 2026 should continue with those plans.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The latest available figures show that only 27% of local planning authorities have adopted a plan in the last five years.
In order to deliver the homes and growth the country needs, we expect all local planning authorities to make every effort to get up-to-date local plans in place as soon as possible. As a government, we have made a clear commitment to achieving universal local plan coverage. To that end, we have been clear that we intend to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible.
The government is committed to taking tough action to ensure local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. The law provides intervention powers for the government to take action to ensure that plans are progressed. Any decisions taken in relation to intervention in plan-making are considered on a case-by-case basis and take into account local circumstances.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have up-to-date Local Plans.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The latest available figures show that only 27% of local planning authorities have adopted a plan in the last five years.
In order to deliver the homes and growth the country needs, we expect all local planning authorities to make every effort to get up-to-date local plans in place as soon as possible. As a government, we have made a clear commitment to achieving universal local plan coverage. To that end, we have been clear that we intend to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible.
The government is committed to taking tough action to ensure local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. The law provides intervention powers for the government to take action to ensure that plans are progressed. Any decisions taken in relation to intervention in plan-making are considered on a case-by-case basis and take into account local circumstances.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many houses are planned to be built in the next five years in England.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 19066 on 20 December 2024.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what changes he made to Departmental budgets in the Autumn Budget 2025 to fund the a) infrastructure and b) services required for new towns.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether development corporations for new towns will be able to purchase primary residences.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will make additional infrastructure funding available to Central Bedfordshire Council for the Tempsford and Milton Keynes New Towns.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has considered the potential implications for his policies of paragraph 31 of page 8 of the New Towns Taskforce report to Government.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the localised flooding risk in each of the sites recommended by the New Towns Taskforce.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.