Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the increased costs that local authorities will incur as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Simon Clarke
I have engaged closely with councils from across the country, and across different tiers, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This new allocation is based on our latest and best assessment of the distribution of additional Covid-19 pressures. We have now provided over £3.2 billion to councils in England to support local authorities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 to allow for the installation of additional floors in converting agricultural buildings for residential use.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Additional floors can be installed when converting an agricultural building to residential use under Class Q of the General Permitted Development Order, where they are within the permitted development right. We therefore have no plans to amend the legislation in this regard.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 to enable a Class Q application to be made in two parts for (a) change of use and (b) building operations.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Class Q permitted development rights, which allow agricultural buildings to change to residential use, provide both for change of use only and for change of use and associated building operations. Where the change of use to a residential dwelling would not be possible without the associated building operations, a local authority should consider the complete proposal when determining whether to grant prior approval.
We therefore have no plans to amend the regulations in this regard.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the (a) social and (b) other effects on rural areas of paragraph 49 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Local councils are best placed to understand and plan for the housing needs of their area. Where the presumption in favour of sustainable development applies, for example in the absence of a five year supply of deliverable housing sites, decisions will still need to be made in the light of all the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework, including policies that indicate development should be restricted. However, an up-to-date Local Plan, which includes a five year supply of development housing sites, is the best way to manage development in an area.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the number of small housing applications that are declined on the basis that they are unsustainable.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
We do not hold information centrally on why permissions for small sites are refused. Each planning application for development is determined in line with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise, taking account of the relevant planning matters and the views of the local community. Small sites play an important contribution to meeting overall housing need. In the year to March 2016, planning permission was granted for 40,000 dwellings on sites of less than 10 units, up 3% on the year to March 2015.
The planning system has strong levers in place to support the delivery of small sites, including through strong national planning policy and extensive permitted development rights. Through the Housing and Planning Act we have introduced further proposals which will help provide greater opportunities for small-and medium-sized companies to enter the development market, promote custom build development and make effective use of developable land.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many small applications for house-building have been made in Torridge and West Devon constituency since 2010.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Separate figures for the numbers of planning applications received for house-building are not collected by the department. Figures are, however, available on the number of decisions made: these show that 1,224 decisions were made on applications for minor housing developments within the Torridge and West Devon constituency between 1 January 2010 and 31 March 2016. Minor housing developments are defined as those including fewer than ten dwellings and where the site has an area of less than one hectare.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the Government's housing policy on the ability of smaller housing applications in rural villages to succeed.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
We believe that meeting the housing needs of rural communities is vitally important.
The National Planning Policy Framework rightly asks local planning authorities to identify and plan to meet the needs of their communities. It is for local planning authorities, in consultation with local people, to use their evidence base to ensure they plan to meet their housing need, shaping where development should and shouldn’t go, through an up to date Local Plan. Over 85,000 affordable homes have been provided in rural local authorities in England between April 2010 and March 2015.
Budget 2016 announced a £60 million fund to help bring forward community-led housing developments in rural and coastal communities. This fund will target those areas which are particularly affected by the impact of second homes. We will be announcing further details on how the fund will be allocated shortly.
The Homes and Communities Agency and my officials meet regularly with those working to deliver homes in rural communities to discuss the provision of affordable rural housing.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that small villages and towns have sufficient housing to meet demand.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
We believe that meeting the housing needs of rural communities is vitally important.
The National Planning Policy Framework rightly asks local planning authorities to identify and plan to meet the needs of their communities. It is for local planning authorities, in consultation with local people, to use their evidence base to ensure they plan to meet their housing need, shaping where development should and shouldn’t go, through an up to date Local Plan. Over 85,000 affordable homes have been provided in rural local authorities in England between April 2010 and March 2015.
Budget 2016 announced a £60 million fund to help bring forward community-led housing developments in rural and coastal communities. This fund will target those areas which are particularly affected by the impact of second homes. We will be announcing further details on how the fund will be allocated shortly.
The Homes and Communities Agency and my officials meet regularly with those working to deliver homes in rural communities to discuss the provision of affordable rural housing.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made in his review of the effects of the one per cent rent reduction on small almshouse charities.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Social Housing Rents (Exceptions and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2016 provided a one year exception for almshouses from the one per cent rent reduction. We are carefully considering the approach for the second year of the reduction onwards, and my officials recently met the Almshouse Association to discuss this. Our aim is to ensure there is a workable and sustainable solution for almshouses, their residents and for taxpayers.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and Tavistock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to help people in receipt of housing benefit secure private rented accommodation.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The English Housing Survey, funded by the Department, published its Headline Report 2014-15 in February which showed that 27% of privately rented households are in receipt of housing benefit. This demonstrates that the private rented sector remains accessible to housing benefit claimants.
The key to improving choice and affordability for tenants is to increase the supply of private rented homes. That’s why the Government introduced the £1 billion Build to Rent fund, and the £3.5 billion Private Rented Sector guarantee scheme, to finance thousands of extra homes built specifically for private rent.