Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of changing planning laws to ensure developments with full planning permission are (a) completed on time and (b) not able to exist with minimal work on them.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local planning authorities (LPAs) already have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use in instances where development has not taken place in accordance with the relevant planning consent.
These enforcement powers include the power to issue a completion notice which requires a developer to complete their development if it is left uncompleted.
It is for LPAs themselves to decide how and when they use their powers depending on the circumstances of each case.
On 25 May, the government published a Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out (which can be found on gov.uk here) inviting views on further action the government should take to speed up homes being built.
On the same day, we launched a technical consultation on implementing measures to improve the transparency of build rates from new residential development, which includes proposals to implement provisions in Section 113 of the LURA on the power to decline to determine applications. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the government intends bring forward the regulations to implement these measures at the earliest practical opportunity with the new build out reporting framework coming into force from 2026.
The consultations closed on 7 July and responses are currently being analysed.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the forthcoming Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill will include provisions to (a) regulate the use of estate rentcharges on freehold properties, (b) limit enforcement powers available to estate rentcharge holders under Section 121 of the Law of Property Act 1925 and (c) provide homeowners with a statutory right to vary estate rentcharge deeds to remove disproportionate enforcement mechanisms.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The use of Sections 121 and 122 of the Law of Property Act 1925 to enforce rent arrears is draconian and wholly inappropriate given alternative means for rentcharge arrears are available.
We will publish an ambitious draft Leasehold and Commonhold reform Bill before the end of the year.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Section 121 of the Law of Property Act 1925 powers on freehold homeowners' ability to sell properties subject to estate rent charges; and whether he has plans to restrict or remove such powers in relation to estate rent charges.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The use of Sections 121 and 122 of the Law of Property Act 1925 to enforce rent arrears is draconian and wholly inappropriate given alternative means for rentcharge arrears are available.
We will publish an ambitious draft Leasehold and Commonhold reform Bill before the end of the year.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to improve sanction processes for private parking companies that repeatedly (a) generate upheld complaints and (b) lose appeals.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector.
The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance on the operation and management of private parking facilities.
My department recently consulted on the new Code and an accompanying compliance framework for private parking companies. As part of this framework, we are developing an independent Certification Scheme to audit the parking industry’s compliance with the new Code. The scheme will operate as a third-party certification process, whereby only organisations accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service as Conformity Assessment Bodies will be able to certify private parking companies.
Parking operators who fail to comply with the Code risk losing access to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data. This data includes information on vehicle keepers, so any company blocked from accessing it would be unable to pursue parking charges.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) local authorities and (b) Trading Standards take action against rogue builders; and what steps her Department is taking to improve the (i) frequency and (ii) success of Trading Standards actions against rogue builders.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold the data requested.
Local Authorities are responsible for determining resourcing priorities in accordance with the needs of their local electorates, and the members of those electorates will differ according to the areas where they live.
I otherwise refer the hon Member to UIN 18841 answered on 17 December 2024 and UIN 23175 answered on 16 January 2025.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 holds information on the number of rogue builders prosecuted in England in each of the past three financial years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold the data requested.
Local Authorities are responsible for determining resourcing priorities in accordance with the needs of their local electorates, and the members of those electorates will differ according to the areas where they live.
I otherwise refer the hon Member to UIN 18841 answered on 17 December 2024 and UIN 23175 answered on 16 January 2025.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 estate management companies to provide estate management agreements to residents when requested.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges.
We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.
The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders.
Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates.
On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 bringing forward legislative proposals to introduce a statutory code of practice for private estate management in relation to (a) levels of transparency, (b) approaches to tendering and (c) service standards.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges.
We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.
The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders.
Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates.
On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a (a) single mandatory redress and (b) ombudsman scheme for freeholders on private estates who want to challenge management charges.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges.
We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.
The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders.
Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates.
On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.