Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of commission charge of up to 10 per cent on the sale of park homes on (a) mobile home residents and (b) site owners; and whether she has made an estimate of the commission paid in England in each of the last five years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here.
This government recognises that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29763 on Discussions with Members from Worcestershire on local government reform, what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) senior officials have had with hon. Members from Worcestershire on local government reform.
Answered by Jim McMahon
Neither ministers nor senior officials have had discussions with hon members from Worcestershire on local government reform. The Minister wrote to Worcestershire council leaders on 5th February 2025 to formally invite proposals for local government reorganisation. The invitation is clear that councils should engage locally and that we also expect and encourage local leaders to engage their Members of Parliament on any proposals being developed, before these are submitted to Government.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support the enforcement of local planning regulations in Bromsgrove District.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It is for local planning authorities, including Bromsgove District Council, to ensure they have the resources in place to carry out their planning enforcement function.
The government appreciate that planning departments across the country are experiencing challenges with recruitment, retention, and skills gaps and that in many cases these issues are having a negative impact on service delivery.
At the Budget, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026. A proportion of this funding will be used to support capacity and capability in local planning authorities, including the recruitment and training of 300 graduate and apprentice planners and developing the skills needed to implement reforms and unlock housing delivery.
This will be further underpinned by increases in planning fees that will help improve the resourcing of planning application services, so that local planning authorities can fund the skills they need.
More broadly, the Department’s established Planning Capacity and Capability programme is also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that local planning authorities have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future, to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many recipients of funding under the Homes for Ukraine scheme lived in Bromsgrove constituency on 10 February 2025.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
As of 10 February 2025, the area covered by Bromsgrove District Council has received 163 arrivals through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Some may have moved out of the area since their arrival. We hold data on guests leaving the UK, not their location in the UK.
Local authorities receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of mandatory design codes for local planning authorities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 6867 on 15 October 2024 and to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 12 November 2024 (HCWS209).
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of access to greenbelt countryside in north Worcestershire on the health of residents in local communities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 29375 on 18 February 2025.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential contribution of the greenbelt to adjacent urban communities to health and recreational opportunities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Access to high quality open spaces, whether located inside or outside the Green Belt, is important for the health and well-being of communities. That is why local authorities are asked to base their planning policies on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities, and opportunities for new provision.
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields and formal play spaces, should not be built on unless there is clear evidence they are no longer required; equivalent or better provision is secured in a suitable location; or development of the site is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.
Within the Green Belt, major development is required to provide new or improved green spaces accessible to the public. Authorities should also look for opportunities to enhance the beneficial use of Green Belt land, including outdoor recreation.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the labour force to meet the Government's housing targets over the course of this Parliament.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the need to expand and upskill the construction workforce to meet our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of delivering 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament.
We are working with industry to ensure the housebuilding sector has access to the skilled workers needed. This includes a £140 million package of industry investment to deliver 5,000 more apprenticeship places through 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with hon. Members from Worcestershire on local government reform.
Answered by Jim McMahon
The Secretary of State has not had discussions with Members from Worcestershire on local government reform.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, by what date her Department plans to commence structural reform in Worcestershire.
Answered by Jim McMahon
I wrote to all councils in Worcestershire on 5 February to formally invite unitary proposals. We have published these letters here. This letter set out the timelines and next steps for local government re-organisation.