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Written Question
Planning Permission
Thursday 24th January 2019

Asked by: Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative - North East Somerset)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether policy, guidance and coding restrictions on style will be (a) based on the outcomes of a transparent, explicit and comprehensive consultation with the relevant local authority and (b) expressed in clear and unambiguous terms.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

The National Planning Policy Framework indicates that visual tools such as design guides and codes should be prepared either by local planning authorities with the involvement of the local community, or by local communities themselves through the neighbourhood planning process. Such documents should set clear expectations, so that applicants for planning permission have as much certainty as possible about what is likely to be acceptable, while allowing a suitable degree of variety where this would be justified.


Written Question
Planning Permission
Thursday 24th January 2019

Asked by: Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative - North East Somerset)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will (a) clarify the objectives of the changes to the aspect of the National Planning Policy Framework where design and style have a value and (b) make it his policy that (i) appropriateness should be defined by clarifying local and commercial interests, (ii) the views of the community should be taken into account and (iii) through early engagement expectations should be clarified where previously it was explicit that decisions and policies should not impose style nor taste.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

Creating high quality buildings and places is an important objective of the National Planning Policy Framework. To help achieve this, it stresses the importance of establishing clear community expectations of what good design looks like in each area, and of early discussions with the community about the design of emerging schemes. It also makes clear that design policies should be grounded in an understanding and evaluation of each area's defining characteristics, including materials, while allowing a suitable degree of variety where justified. Updated guidance to support these policies will be published in due course.


Written Question
Department for Communities and Local Government: Brexit
Thursday 9th November 2017

Asked by: Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative - North East Somerset)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's preparations for the UK leaving the EU with (a) an agreement on future partnership and (b) no agreement with the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)

Following the referendum in June 2016, My Department continues to make rigorous preparations for a range of possible outcomes from the UK's negotiations with the EU.


Written Question
Affordable Housing
Thursday 6th November 2014

Asked by: Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative - North East Somerset)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the costs of Clause 3 of the Affordable Homes Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Brandon Lewis

The scale of research proposed could be expected to cost more than £250,000, based on the Department’s experience of similar projects. A more precise estimate would require more detailed scoping and market testing.

Local authorities are already required to develop an evidence base locally, to ensure their Local Plan meets the full, objectively assessed needs for market and affordable housing in the housing market area, consistent with the policies set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. The Government has published new guidance to local authorities on how to assess housing need in their area.


Written Question
Right to Acquire Scheme
Friday 17th October 2014

Asked by: Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative - North East Somerset)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on the availability of social housing of excluding properties in small rural settlements from the Right to Acquire scheme.

Answered by Brandon Lewis

The Government is committed to enabling social tenants, including those who live in rural areas, to achieve their aspiration for home ownership where this is the right option for them.

We are also committed to ensuring that affordable rented housing is available to people in these areas.

The Government is keeping the Right to Acquire under review and welcomes representations on how tenants of housing associations can be further supported to access home ownership.


Written Question
Right to Acquire Scheme
Friday 17th October 2014

Asked by: Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative - North East Somerset)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to include properties in small rural settlements in the Right to Acquire scheme.

Answered by Brandon Lewis

The Government is committed to enabling social tenants, including those who live in rural areas, to achieve their aspiration for home ownership where this is the right option for them.

We are also committed to ensuring that affordable rented housing is available to people in these areas.

The Government is keeping the Right to Acquire under review and welcomes representations on how tenants of housing associations can be further supported to access home ownership.