Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Department has to develop local connection criteria for the homes built on Entry Level Exception Sites.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The draft National Planning Policy Framework proposal for Entry Level Exception Sites did not include a local connection criteria. The policy is designed to provide additional housing for first time buyers and renters, where it is needed. This will not always involve a local connection. This was consulted on as part of the draft National Planning Policy Framework. We are currently considering responses to the consultation and will publish the final National Planning Policy Framework in the summer.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that local communities are involved in the development of homes on Entry Level Exception Sites.
Answered by Dominic Raab
Planning applications for entry level exception sites, as proposed in the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework, will be subject to public consultation, as with all planning applications.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and which wards based in rural districts are in the worst 10 per cent of wards for child poverty according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Department does not publish ward level data for the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) or the supplementary Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI).
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has recently met with the Local Government Association to discuss (a) the maintenance of public parks and (b) new funding arrangements to preserve the network of parks.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
The Local Government Association is a member of the ‘Parks Action Group’ and works closely with officials in my Department to discuss activity to safeguard and enhance parks and green spaces for future generations. As the Minister with responsibility for parks and green spaces, I intend to meet with the ‘Parks Action Group’ early this year.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to meet with the Local Government Association to discuss the preservation of public parks.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
The Local Government Association is a member of the ‘Parks Action Group’ and works closely with officials in my Department to discuss activity to safeguard and enhance parks and green spaces for future generations. As the Minister with responsibility for parks and green spaces, I intend to meet with the ‘Parks Action Group’ early this year.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
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 introduce a specific Energy Performance Certificate for rural areas; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Dominic Raab
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required for new buildings or when buildings are sold or rented, unless a valid exemption applies. We have no plans to make any changes for EPCs required for buildings in rural areas.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many homes have been identified as unfit for human habitation by local authorities for each constituency in the last five years.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The department publishes annual statistics on the number of homes with a Housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) Category 1 hazard in each local authority. These are dwellings where this has been raised by a tenant with the local authority. A table containing the most recent data (for 2016/17) can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-authority-housing-statistics-data-returns-for-2016-to-2017
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that access to fast broadband is a planning condition for new housing estate and business park developments.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The Government is committed to delivering the world’s most dynamic digital economy, supported by measures such as fibre infrastructure investment to ensure consumers and businesses have access to the digital infrastructure that they need.
The Ministry consulted in the Housing White Paper, ‘Fixing our broken housing market’, on amending national planning policy. This focused on requiring local authorities to have in place policies setting out how high quality digital infrastructure will be delivered in their area and how they can be accessible from a range of providers. We will set out how these proposals are to be taken forward shortly.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to regulate management companies to ensure that fees charged to residents reflect the true costs of maintenance of their properties and linked open space.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Government’s call for evidence, 'Protecting consumers in the letting and managing agent market', sought views on a number of issues around property agents, their fees and how they can be better challenged by residents. The call for evidence closed on 29 November and the Government will respond in due course.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for local authorities to bid to increase their borrowing cap in the financial year 2019-20 to build additional council housing.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
At the Autumn Budget 2017, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that we will raise the Housing Revenue Account borrowing caps by a total of up to £1 billion. This will apply to areas of high affordability pressure with local authorities that are ready to start building new homes. Local authorities will be able to bid for increases in their caps from 2019/20 up to a total of £1 billion by the end of 2021/22. We will set out more details shortly.