Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for publishing an updated version of the Housing Delivery Test.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The 2023 Housing Delivery Test outcomes will be published by the end of the year.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
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 meet the hon. Member for Horsham to discuss the obligations on Horsham District Council (a) to build more than 900 houses a year and (b) not to build new houses that do not meet the requirements of Water Neutrality.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Paragraph 60 of the National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local authorities should plan for as much of an area’s identified housing need as possible, including with an appropriate mix of housing types for the local community.
Addressing the impact of ‘water neutrality’ requirements on housing delivery is a cross-government priority. The way that water resources are planned for is being considered as part of a commission recently announced by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. As set out in the King’s Speech, we want to ensure development delivers positive environmental outcomes.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
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 designate (a) Fire and Rescue services, (b) the Environment Agency and (c) the Health and Safety Executive as statutory consultees in the planning process for Battery Energy Storage Solutions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 5520 on 11 October 2024.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether it is her policy that the Horsham District Council local plan should be allowed to progress without alteration in the context of her proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I regret that due to the Deputy Prime Minister’s quasi-judicial role in the planning system, I am unable to comment on the details of a specific local plan.
More generally, as part of our current consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, we have proposed transitional arrangements to maintain the progress of plans at more advanced stages of preparation. These will apply differently depending on what stage of preparation the plan has reached and the extent to which it is meeting the Government’s housing growth aspirations.
We would encourage any views on the proposed transitional arrangements, or any alternatives that we should consider, to be submitted in response to the consultation.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
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 amend the standard method formula for calculating housing need.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has set out changes to how we plan for the homes we need as part of the consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework launched on 30 July. This includes a proposal to amend the standard method formula for calculating housing need.