Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the proportion of planning permissions granted that were for affordable housing units in England in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department publishes an estimate of the total number of housing units granted planning permission in the quarterly planning application statistics statistical release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/planning-applications-in-england-july-to-september-2019
The statistics do not split permissions between affordable and market housing
Section I10 of the Local Authority Housing Statistics includes figures for the numbers of affordable units granted final planning permission during the year as part of developer (section 106) contributions. This will be a subset of all affordable planning permission.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-housing-statistics-data-returns-for-2018-to-2019.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the maximum limit is on service charges that can be passed on to tenants by social housing landlords.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
There is no maximum limit on service charges that can be passed on to social rented tenants but they must be set in line with the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 with service charges payable only to the extent that the costs have been reasonably incurred. The reasonableness of the service charge a social housing landlord is seeking will depend on the nature of the works required and other contributing factors.
Social housing tenants have the ability to apply to the Property Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for a determination where they do not believe the charges are reasonable, and must be consulted when major works are being proposed.
For those in Affordable Rent properties the calculation of their gross rent includes service charges. Gross rent for these properties is capped at 80 per cent of market rent.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to protect social housing tenants from unreasonable service charges levied by social landlords.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
There is no maximum limit on service charges that can be passed on to social rented tenants but they must be set in line with the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 with service charges payable only to the extent that the costs have been reasonably incurred. The reasonableness of the service charge a social housing landlord is seeking will depend on the nature of the works required and other contributing factors.
Social housing tenants have the ability to apply to the Property Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for a determination where they do not believe the charges are reasonable, and must be consulted when major works are being proposed.
For those in Affordable Rent properties the calculation of their gross rent includes service charges. Gross rent for these properties is capped at 80 per cent of market rent.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his statement of 22 June 2015, Official Report, columns 617-9, whether local people will have the final say on planning applications for solar farms.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
National planning guidance for renewable energy underlines that the views of local communities likely to be affected should be listened to and states that it is important that their planning concerns are properly heard in matters that directly affect them. Local councils working with their communities are able to set out in their Local Plan where developments for renewable energy such as solar farms should and should not take place.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with what strategic housing allocations priorities local communities must comply.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Neighbourhood planning provides a powerful set of tools for local people to ensure that they get the right types of development for their community. It is for communities to make their own choices as to what planning matters they wish to address in their Neighbourhood Plan subject to being in general conformity with the strategic policies in their Local Plan.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether neighbourhood plans have to meet a minimum number of homes allocated.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Neighbourhood planning provides a powerful set of tools for local people to ensure that they get the right types of development for their community. It is for communities to make their own choices as to what planning matters they wish to address in their Neighbourhood Plan subject to being in general conformity with the strategic policies in their Local Plan.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding is available for local authorities to support neighbourhood plans.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Department is committed to meeting the costs of new burdens on local authorities. Local authorities have a duty to support neighbourhood planning and are also required to fund the independent examination and referendum. Local authorities can currently claim up to £30,000 for each Neighbourhood Plan, with additional funding available in non-parished areas and designated business areas.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what advice is available to communities formulating neighbourhood plans.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
A large range of advice is available to communities formulating Neighbourhood Plans. The Department commissioned a consortium led by Locality to deliver a £10.5 million support programme for 2013-15, which provides help and assistance on neighbourhood planning, including direct support from specialist planning advisors, a telephone advice service and a range of support materials on the http://www.mycommunityrights.org.uk website. Planning Aid England, which is part of this consortium, also offers some free advice on neighbourhood planning.
The Department also published planning guidance earlier this year to provide further advice on neighbourhood planning. Local planning authorities also have a duty to support neighbourhood planning by providing advice and assistance.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many communities have produced neighbourhood development plans.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
As of 17 October 2014 the Department is aware of over 1,200 communities having started the process of neighbourhood planning. Of these, 138 communities have reached the stage of producing a draft Neighbourhood Plan for pre-submission consultation, of which 87 have submitted their plan to the local planning authority for examination, 30 have passed referendum and 25 have been brought into force (made).
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to prevent unfair parking enforcement practices.
Answered by Lord Pickles
This Government is bringing forward a range of measures to make local parking fairer for residents and shoppers.
This includes changing the law to clamp down on CCTV ‘spy cars’; introducing grace periods; and giving local taxpayers the right to demand a review of parking their area.