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 provide alternative financial support to communities in West Dorset constituency following reductions in Government funding for neighbourhood plans.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 59114 on the 19 June 2025.
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 reductions in Government funding for neighbourhood plans on rural communities in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 59114 on the 19 June 2025.
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 she plans to require Natural Landscapes to be statutory consultees for housing developments in (a) all areas with high levels of natural landscapes and (b) West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is clear that the bar for being a statutory consultee in the planning system, and therefore having to be consulted on planning applications by law, should be high.
In January 2025 the government 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).
The government has not had discussions with Natural Landscapes about their engagement with the planning system.
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, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a statutory duty to consult Natural Landscapes on all development proposals.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is clear that the bar for being a statutory consultee in the planning system, and therefore having to be consulted on planning applications by law, should be high.
In January 2025 the government 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).
The government has not had discussions with Natural Landscapes about their engagement with the planning system.
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 she has had discussions with Natural Landscapes on their role in planning consultations in relation to new housing developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is clear that the bar for being a statutory consultee in the planning system, and therefore having to be consulted on planning applications by law, should be high.
In January 2025 the government 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).
The government has not had discussions with Natural Landscapes about their engagement with the planning system.
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, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making Natural Landscapes statutory consultees in the housing planning system.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is clear that the bar for being a statutory consultee in the planning system, and therefore having to be consulted on planning applications by law, should be high.
In January 2025 the government 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).
The government has not had discussions with Natural Landscapes about their engagement with the planning system.
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 she will make an assessment of the potential merits of automatic planning permission for extending helipad operation hours at major trauma hospitals.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Operating hours are usually set locally, by condition, following the grant of planning permission. If there are conditions restricting operating hours, these can be varied or removed through a section 73 application following local consideration of the benefits and any local impacts.
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 to increase funding for advice services in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Jim McMahon
At the final Settlement, the government confirmed that it is making available over £69 billion for local government, increasing Core Spending Power by up to 6.8% in cash terms on 2024-25.
The Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29.
The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
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 to support local authorities to fund advice services.
Answered by Jim McMahon
At the final Settlement, the government confirmed that it is making available over £69 billion for local government, increasing Core Spending Power by up to 6.8% in cash terms on 2024-25.
The Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29.
The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
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 she has made an assessment of trends in the complexity of cases handled by advice services.
Answered by Jim McMahon
At the final Settlement, the government confirmed that it is making available over £69 billion for local government, increasing Core Spending Power by up to 6.8% in cash terms on 2024-25.
The Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29.
The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.