Asked by: Neil Carmichael (Conservative - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to enhance the transparency of the operation and financial performance of management companies for housing.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Managing agents must comply with the obligations in the lease, and must comply with landlord and tenant legislation. This sets out a framework of rights and protections for leaseholders, and also places particular obligations on landlords, and managing agents acting on their behalf.
This includes providing information about service charges where a written request is made. Managing agents should also comply with two Codes of Practice approved by the Secretary of State for the management of residential leasehold property.
Since 1 October 2014 managing agents have also been required to belong to one of three Government approved redress schemes, to whom leaseholders can take a complaint.
We continue to consider ways to improve transparency in the residential leasehold sector without adding disproportionate burdens and costs.
Asked by: Neil Carmichael (Conservative - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local planning authorities on support for town and parish councils to initiate a neighbourhood plan when (a) there is no local plan, (b) a local plan is being considered by an inspection and (c) there is doubt about housing numbers.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Planning guidance sets out the action an authority should take where a neighbourhood plan comes forward before an up-to-date Local Plan is in place (further details can be found at: http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/neighbourhood-planning/what-is-neighbourhood-planning/what-is-a-neighbourhood-plan-and-what-is-its-relationship-to-a-local-plan/)
A local planning authority should take a proactive and positive approach, working collaboratively with a parish or town council or a designated neighbourhood forum particularly sharing evidence and seeking to resolve any issues to ensure that the draft neighbourhood plan has the greatest chance of success at independent examination.
Town and parish councils and designated neighbourhood forums can also use the planning guidance on housing and economic development needs assessments to identify specific local needs that may be relevant to a neighbourhood but any assessment at such a local level should be proportionate.