Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) average cost of appointing a surveyor for the purposes of drawing up a party wall award and (b) extent to which this cost prohibits homeowners in settling disputes.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Any surveyor appointed under section 10 of the Party Wall Act 1996 is undertaking a statutory role. In all cases, surveyors appointed or selected under the dispute resolution procedure of the Act must consider the interests and rights of both owners and draw up an award impartially.
The Department has not carried out an assessment of the average cost of appointing a surveyor for the purposes of drawing up a party wall award. The Act provides for surveyors to be paid the reasonable costs of drawing up an award. However, if the owner or the adjoining owner feels that a surveyor’s costs are unreasonable they may ask for a breakdown of costs, e.g. the hourly rate and number of hours of time being charged for.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2022 to Question 98458 on Trees: Biodiversity and Climate Change, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of giving greater weight to (a) climate change and (b) biodiversity for those seeking to grant Tree Preservation Orders.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Trees are at the forefront of the Government’s plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and to help to bend the curve of biodiversity loss. We are committed to increasing tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this Parliament.
As stated in the answer to Question 98458, our guidance sets out that local authorities may wish to take nature conservation importance or climate change response factors into account when assessing the amenity of a tree or woodland, but that these factors alone would not warrant making an Order. The guidance also sets out that Orders should be used where the removal of the tree or trees would have a significant negative impact on the local environment and its enjoyment by the public.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the impact of the (a) The Town and Country Planning (Tree Preservation) (England) Regulations 2012 and (b) guidance issued on 6 March 2014 on (i) Tree Preservation Orders and (ii) trees in conservation areas with regards to their ability to improve biodiversity and mitigate climate change issues.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
This Government recognises the biodiversity and climate mitigation value of trees. We committed in the England Trees Action Plan to spend over £500 million of the Nature for Climate Fund on trees and woodland in England between 2020 and 2025. The England Tree Action Plan also committed this Government to publishing guidance on managing woodland for a changing climate.
The planning practice guidance, as published on 6 March 2014, sets out that local authorities may consider taking into account the importance to nature conservation and climate change response when assessing amenity value. Information on the impact of tree preservation policy and legislation on biodiversity is not held nationally, as information on trees covered by Tree Preservation Orders is held by the local authority who made the decision.