Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
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 take steps to expedite the development of affordable housing at Sawyers Close in Windsor.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government will continue to work in partnership with local authorities, housing associations and the wider sector to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many cases are waiting to be assessed by the Building Safety Regulator.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are aware that there have been delays for applicants in Gateway Two. The Building Safety Regulator have told applicants to currently plan on the basis of 20 weeks to clear Gateway Two, although we are seeing signs that this processing time is improving. This is compared to the Service Level Agreement of 12 weeks for new builds. We also understand there are specific applications which exceed current average processing timescales.
The new regulatory approach for building control on higher-risk buildings represents a fundamental shift in the approach to building safety. The introduction of the new regulatory regime initially resulted in a lot of poor quality and incomplete applications. The BSR are supporting applicants to ensure they are meeting the functional requirements of the building regulations. It is worth noting that the requirements in the regulations are not new and rejected applications contribute to the processing time of compliant applications.
We recognise the changes are still bedding in, however it is clear that the sector must also take responsibility for the projects they deliver. Guidance is available to support them in understanding their duties.
MHCLG and BSR have taken the following actions to enable applications to be processed more efficiently:
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
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 the number of claims processed by the Building Safety Regulator.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are aware that there have been delays for applicants in Gateway Two. The Building Safety Regulator have told applicants to currently plan on the basis of 20 weeks to clear Gateway Two, although we are seeing signs that this processing time is improving. This is compared to the Service Level Agreement of 12 weeks for new builds. We also understand there are specific applications which exceed current average processing timescales.
The new regulatory approach for building control on higher-risk buildings represents a fundamental shift in the approach to building safety. The introduction of the new regulatory regime initially resulted in a lot of poor quality and incomplete applications. The BSR are supporting applicants to ensure they are meeting the functional requirements of the building regulations. It is worth noting that the requirements in the regulations are not new and rejected applications contribute to the processing time of compliant applications.
We recognise the changes are still bedding in, however it is clear that the sector must also take responsibility for the projects they deliver. Guidance is available to support them in understanding their duties.
MHCLG and BSR have taken the following actions to enable applications to be processed more efficiently:
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the average time was for the Building Safety Regulator to make a decision in the last 12 months.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are aware that there have been delays for applicants in Gateway Two. The Building Safety Regulator have told applicants to currently plan on the basis of 20 weeks to clear Gateway Two, although we are seeing signs that this processing time is improving. This is compared to the Service Level Agreement of 12 weeks for new builds. We also understand there are specific applications which exceed current average processing timescales.
The new regulatory approach for building control on higher-risk buildings represents a fundamental shift in the approach to building safety. The introduction of the new regulatory regime initially resulted in a lot of poor quality and incomplete applications. The BSR are supporting applicants to ensure they are meeting the functional requirements of the building regulations. It is worth noting that the requirements in the regulations are not new and rejected applications contribute to the processing time of compliant applications.
We recognise the changes are still bedding in, however it is clear that the sector must also take responsibility for the projects they deliver. Guidance is available to support them in understanding their duties.
MHCLG and BSR have taken the following actions to enable applications to be processed more efficiently:
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
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 the potential merits of approving requests from local authorities for council tax increases above the referendum cap.
Answered by Jim McMahon
The Government is currently analysing results of the consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement for 2025-26 including the council tax referendum principles that will be set. The ability for councils in exceptional financial circumstances to request council tax increases is not new. As with previous years the government will consider requests for bespoke referendum principles from councils seeking exceptional financial support, but this government will put taxpayers at the forefront of their consideration.
The government will consider requests on a case-by-case basis and expects that any additional increases would only be agreed in exceptional circumstances. The government has been clear it will look carefully at councils’ specific circumstances, for example their existing levels of council tax relative to the average and the strength of plans to protect vulnerable people. As with previous years, referendum principles for all councils will be set out at the final Local Government Finance Settlement in February.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to announce her decision on requests from local authorities for approval of council tax increases above the referendum cap.
Answered by Jim McMahon
The Government is currently analysing results of the consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement for 2025-26 including the council tax referendum principles that will be set. The ability for councils in exceptional financial circumstances to request council tax increases is not new. As with previous years the government will consider requests for bespoke referendum principles from councils seeking exceptional financial support, but this government will put taxpayers at the forefront of their consideration.
The government will consider requests on a case-by-case basis and expects that any additional increases would only be agreed in exceptional circumstances. The government has been clear it will look carefully at councils’ specific circumstances, for example their existing levels of council tax relative to the average and the strength of plans to protect vulnerable people. As with previous years, referendum principles for all councils will be set out at the final Local Government Finance Settlement in February.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
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 (a) publish proposals for the use of special development order powers under Section 59 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to grant planning permission for commercial schemes and (b) consult on those proposals before they are implemented.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Special Development Orders are a long-established part of the planning system. Each case is considered on its individual merits. The government have no plans to change the current arrangements.