Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
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 bind ring-fenced planning department budgets within local authorities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The ringfencing, or retention, of planning fee income within local authority planning services will be considered as part of the government’s longer-term plans for planning fees.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
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 ensure new developments include (a) swift boxes and (b) other provisions for environmental adaptations.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 28783 on 12 February 2025.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
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 ensure new developments are built to standards which reflect (a) nature and (b) climate targets.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Future Homes and Buildings Standards, to be introduced later this year, will set our new homes and buildings on a path that moves away from relying on volatile fossil fuels and ensures they are fit for a net zero future. In addition, Part O of the Building Regulations requires new buildings to mitigate the risk of overheating.
Biodiversity Net Gain requires development to deliver environmental improvements locally and nationally. Our new Nature Restoration Fund will provide the opportunity for development to fund nature recovery, creating a win-win outcome for both the economy and nature. In addition, the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 made some immediate changes to support climate change mitigation and adaptation. The NPPF also makes clear that the need to mitigate and adapt to climate change should be considered in preparing and assessing planning applications.