Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
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 conduct a review into local authorities’ pre-application processes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework stresses the importance of good quality pre-application discussions between local planning authorities and applicants, and the role that these can play in improving outcomes. The Government strongly encourages local planning authorities to utilise best practice guidance for pre-application engagement and planning performance agreements published by the Planning Advisory Service.
The King’s Speech announced that the Government would introduce a Planning and Infrastructure Bill to accelerate housebuilding and infrastructure delivery. This will include measures to modernise planning committees in order to improve decision making. Further details will be announced in due course.
I look forward to working with colleagues during the passage of the Bill and would be happy to receive representations on our proposals from my hon Friend and honourable members.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
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 York Outer to discuss reforms to speed up the planning process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework stresses the importance of good quality pre-application discussions between local planning authorities and applicants, and the role that these can play in improving outcomes. The Government strongly encourages local planning authorities to utilise best practice guidance for pre-application engagement and planning performance agreements published by the Planning Advisory Service.
The King’s Speech announced that the Government would introduce a Planning and Infrastructure Bill to accelerate housebuilding and infrastructure delivery. This will include measures to modernise planning committees in order to improve decision making. Further details will be announced in due course.
I look forward to working with colleagues during the passage of the Bill and would be happy to receive representations on our proposals from my hon Friend and honourable members.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
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 ensure that planning authorities determine applications on time.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In our consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, which began on Tuesday 30 July and closes on Tuesday 24 September, we are seeking views on changes to planning application fees with a view to increasing the resources available to local authorities and improving the timeliness of their decision-making.
If required, Government has the power to designate local planning authorities who demonstrate consistently poor performance in terms of the speed or quality of their decision-making. Where an authority is designated, applicants have the choice of submitting planning applications directly to the Planning Inspectorate for determination on behalf of the Secretary of State.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to speed up the conveyancing process for property sales.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that the current home buying and selling process in England is slow, costly and stressful, and that conveyancing can contribute to this. An improved, modernised process could benefit consumers, industry, the housing market and the wider economy.
A key part of the conveyancing process is obtaining search information from the relevant local authority. To speed up this process HM Land Registry are digitising search data held by local authorities. Eventually this will cover each local authority and provide a quick and accurate response, potentially taking weeks off transaction times. More information can be found here.
We continue to consider how to drive improvements most effectively across home buying and selling for both consumers and the sector.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
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 visit proposed housing developments in York Outer constituency to discuss affordable housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I will happily consider whether a future visit to a housing development in York Outer constituency to discuss affordable housing will be possible.