Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2024 to Question 9443 on Local Plans: Green Belt, what steps he is taking to ensure that planning inspectors apply the provisions of the new National Planning Policy Framework in their decisions.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Secretary of State appoints an independent Planning Inspector to examine a revised Local Plan (including any Green Belt boundary change) and check that it is legally compliant and sound. Plans must be positively prepared, justified, effective, and consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework. If requested by the local authority, Inspectors may recommend modifications to the Plan they consider necessary for it to be sound. The Framework is not law, simply requiring compliance: examining Inspectors have regard to its policies insofar as they are a material consideration.
As Annex 1 makes clear, the revised Framework will come into effect where a revised Plan reaches pre-submission stage after 19 March 2024. However, for the purposes of determining planning applications, the new Framework’s policies came into effect on 19 December 2023.
The Secretary of State has a range of intervention powers available to him in relation to the Plan-making process. Decisions to intervene are exceptional and made on a case-by-case basis once all the facts and any relevant legal advice have been considered.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2023 to Question 9443 on Local Plans: Green Belt, whether he has powers to intervene should a planning inspector require a local authority to build housing on a designated green belt site.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Secretary of State appoints an independent Planning Inspector to examine a revised Local Plan (including any Green Belt boundary change) and check that it is legally compliant and sound. Plans must be positively prepared, justified, effective, and consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework. If requested by the local authority, Inspectors may recommend modifications to the Plan they consider necessary for it to be sound. The Framework is not law, simply requiring compliance: examining Inspectors have regard to its policies insofar as they are a material consideration.
As Annex 1 makes clear, the revised Framework will come into effect where a revised Plan reaches pre-submission stage after 19 March 2024. However, for the purposes of determining planning applications, the new Framework’s policies came into effect on 19 December 2023.
The Secretary of State has a range of intervention powers available to him in relation to the Plan-making process. Decisions to intervene are exceptional and made on a case-by-case basis once all the facts and any relevant legal advice have been considered.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reasons can a planning inspector overrule a local council's housing plan.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Secretary of State appoints an independent Planning Inspector to examine a revised Local Plan (including any Green Belt boundary change) and check that it is legally compliant and sound. Plans must be positively prepared, justified, effective, and consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework. If requested by the local authority, Inspectors may recommend modifications to the Plan they consider necessary for it to be sound. The Framework is not law, simply requiring compliance: examining Inspectors have regard to its policies insofar as they are a material consideration.
As Annex 1 makes clear, the revised Framework will come into effect where a revised Plan reaches pre-submission stage after 19 March 2024. However, for the purposes of determining planning applications, the new Framework’s policies came into effect on 19 December 2023.
The Secretary of State has a range of intervention powers available to him in relation to the Plan-making process. Decisions to intervene are exceptional and made on a case-by-case basis once all the facts and any relevant legal advice have been considered.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has issued guidance to planning inspectors on the applicability of Section 13 of the National Planning Policy Framework on Protecting the Green Belt if draft local plans have not made sufficient provision for new housing.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The National Planning Policy Framework now makes clear that there is no requirement to alter Green Belt boundaries to provide housing land.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 20 December 2023, what steps he is taking to help planning inspectors ensure existing green belt boundaries when considering draft local plans.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The National Planning Policy Framework now makes clear that there is no requirement to alter Green Belt boundaries to provide housing land.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if it is his policy to extend the £350 payment to host families of Ukrainian refugees under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme to those UK hosts hosting their own Ukrainian family members in the UK.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The 'thank you' payments are only available to those sponsoring guests via the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. Further information can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-scheme-frequently-asked-questions.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he expects local authorities to have funding in place to provide the planned cost of living rebates to council tax payers.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government made payments to councils on 30 March covering the full allocation for the council tax rebate and discretionary fund. Many councils have already started paying the rebate to households.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether local authorities are permitted to deregister green belt land to make sites available for development; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
This Government is firmly committed to protecting and enhancing the Green Belt, in line with our manifesto. There are strong protections for the Green Belt in place. Through national planning policy, local authorities may not alter the boundaries of Green Belt land unless in exceptional circumstances, which must take place through the local plan process. A local authority should consider releasing land from Green Belt only if it can fully evidence that it has explored all other reasonable options for meeting its development needs. This includes using suitable brownfield land for development.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to issue guidance or other forms of support to local authorities to help them facilitate events to mark the Queen's Platinum jubilee.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
A national programme of events and celebrations is being planned around the momentous occasion of Her Majesty the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. This will include a weekend of national street parties and the lighting of beacons across the whole of the United Kingdom. MHLCG has previously supported local celebrations for VE/VJ day and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, and we are currently producing guidance for local authorities on how they may choose to mark the occasion which will include timelines, a variety of suggested activities, and a 'how to' guide on preparing for street parties and other public events.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to implement the Government's policy of requiring solar panels on the roof of every new house.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government remains committed to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050 and recognises the important contribution that the energy efficiency of buildings has to make in meeting it. We must ensure that the energy efficiency standards we set through the Building Regulations for new homes put us on track to meet the 2050 target. From 2021, new homes will be expected to produce 31% less CO2 emissions compared to current standards, and from 2025, the Future Homes Standard (FHS) will ensure that new homes produce at least 75% lower CO2 emissions compared to those built to current standards. Homes built under the FHS will be ‘zero carbon ready’, which means that in the longer term, no further retrofit work for energy efficiency will be necessary to enable them to become zero-carbon homes as the electricity grid continues to decarbonise.
The Building Regulations set minimum energy performance standards for new homes and non-domestic buildings. They are couched in performance terms and do not prescribe the technologies, materials or fuels to be used, allowing builders and homeowners the flexibility to innovate and select the most practical and cost-effective solutions appropriate in any development. For example, many roofs are not suitable for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels because of the visual amenity, strength, or direction of the building.