Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 prevent the purchase as second homes of homes sold under section 157 of the Housing Act 1985 in (a) areas of high housing demand and (b) West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It is for local planning authorities to assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including young families and older residents.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), the government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report.
Whilst second homes and short-term lets can benefit local economies, the government appreciate that excessive concentrations in some areas of the country can impact the availability and affordability of homes, both to rent and buy. In addition to the measures the government has already committed to, including a registration scheme for short term lets and changes to the furnished holiday lets rules, we continue to consider what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by excessive concentrations of short-term lets and second homes.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 wastewater capacity in West Dorset for planned housing developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the importance of water and wastewater provision on new developments.
As set out in Paragraph 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of homes, commercial development and supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner. Sustainable development should be pursued both through the preparation and implementation of local development plans, and the application of policies in the framework.
The government is clear that housing must come with appropriate infrastructure, including appropriate water infrastructure. We believe that strategic issues such as water capacity are best dealt with at a strategic level through the plan-making process, rather than through individual planning applications.
A key function of local development plans is to guide development to the most suitable and sustainable locations and to ensure that the associated infrastructure requirements are addressed. Effective co-operation early in the plan-making process is essential to ensuring not only that housing and infrastructure need is appropriately planned for, but that they are aligned with each other. The NPPF makes it clear that local planning authorities should collaborate with each other and with other public bodies, including infrastructure providers, to identify relevant strategic matters to be addressed, including providing for sustainable water supplies.
Water companies are under a statutory duty to provide new water and sewerage connections to residential properties, as well as planning to meet the needs of growth as part of water resource management plans, and drainage and wastewater management plans. The water resources planning guideline published by the Environment Agency and Ofwat, sets out how those companies should forecast demand for water based on existing customers and planned levels of household and non-household growth, with the number of planned developments being based on published local plans.
Relevant planning practice guidance sets out that good design and mitigation measures should be secured during development, both through site-specific and non-site-specific policies on water infrastructure. The revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024 makes clear that developments of all sizes should use sustainable drainage techniques when the development could have drainage impacts and should have appropriate maintenance arrangements in place. We continue to explore whether more needs to be done to ensure sustainable drainage technologies are taken up more widely in new development, either through planning policy or by commencing schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, and a decision on the best way forward will be made in the coming months.
Ensuring that we take a strategic spatial planning approach to the management of water, including tackling pollution and managing pressures on the water environment at a catchment, regional and national scale, is a core objective of the ongoing independent review into the regulatory system of the water sector, launched in October 2024 by the UK and Welsh Governments. The review is expected to report this summer, and we will carefully consider its findings.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure new homes in West Dorset constituency do not exceed local sewage treatment capacity.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 9948 on 23 October 2024.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 not making water companies statutory consultees in planning consultations on new housing developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Water companies are not statutory consultees on individual planning applications, but they are consulted as part of the preparation of local development plans.
The government recently declared a moratorium on any new statutory consultees, along with a review of the existing statutory consultee arrangements to ensure they align with the government’s ambitions for growth.
Further details can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to expand schemes to help encourage downsizing in (a) West Dorset constituency and (b) rural areas.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under-occupation is recorded in the English Housing Survey’s annual statistics.
The choice to sell a home is ultimately one for the owner of the property to make.
However, the government are taking steps to modernise the home buying and selling process, including through digital innovation.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), we are also giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 impact of trends in the number of under-occupied homes on housing availability in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under-occupation is recorded in the English Housing Survey’s annual statistics.
The choice to sell a home is ultimately one for the owner of the property to make.
However, the government are taking steps to modernise the home buying and selling process, including through digital innovation.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), we are also giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to incentivise the use of existing housing stock to help tackle low room occupancy rates.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under-occupation is recorded in the English Housing Survey’s annual statistics.
The choice to sell a home is ultimately one for the owner of the property to make.
However, the government are taking steps to modernise the home buying and selling process, including through digital innovation.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), we are also giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 impact of under-occupied homes on housing availability.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under-occupation is recorded in the English Housing Survey’s annual statistics.
The choice to sell a home is ultimately one for the owner of the property to make.
However, the government are taking steps to modernise the home buying and selling process, including through digital innovation.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), we are also giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 older homeowners to downsize in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under-occupation is recorded in the English Housing Survey’s annual statistics.
The choice to sell a home is ultimately one for the owner of the property to make.
However, the government are taking steps to modernise the home buying and selling process, including through digital innovation.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), we are also giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 trends in the levels of under-occupied homes in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under-occupation is recorded in the English Housing Survey’s annual statistics.
The choice to sell a home is ultimately one for the owner of the property to make.
However, the government are taking steps to modernise the home buying and selling process, including through digital innovation.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), we are also giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report.