Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Sussex Weald)
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 23 September 2021 to Question 49182, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen the ability of local authorities to encourage faster build out rates.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The issue of slow build out has been raised in response to the Planning for the Future consultation. There are instances where delays in starting or progressing sites may be avoidable and the Government wants to empower authorities with the tools to respond to such cases. Consequently, we are exploring options to support faster build out as part of the wider package of proposed planning reforms. We are continuing to reflect on the many responses received to last year's White Paper and an announcement on next steps will be made.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Sussex Weald)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will consider providing step-in rights for local authorities to take control of the land to support development in their area.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government is clear that new homes should be built out as soon as possible once planning permission is granted. Where build-out is delayed, it is for councils and developers to work closely together to overcome any barriers.
Local authorities have various compulsory purchase powers they can use to acquire land, including for the delivery of new housing. These are intended as a last resort and there must always be a compelling case in the public interest to justify intervention. Government is keen to encourage local authorities to make more effective use of compulsory purchase powers and we will continue to explore ways of supporting them in doing so.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Sussex Weald)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle potential staffing shortages that local authorities face in the recruitment of (a) senior planning staff and (b) other planning and housing specialists.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We are considering the responses to the Planning for the Future consultation and will be publishing our response.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Sussex Weald)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to provide assurance that infrastructure funding supports housing development in places where rigid strategies exist such as the Road Investment Strategy.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
It is important that local authorities plan well for the infrastructure required to support housing development, taking into account Government funding streams such as the Road Investment Strategy and securing appropriate contributions from developers. Developer contributions can be secured through section 106 planning obligations or the Community Infrastructure Levy. The 'Planning for the Future' White Paper' proposes a new 'Infrastructure Levy' to replace the existing system. The consultation on 'Planning for the Future' closed on 29 October 2020 and we will be responding formally.
The Government published its second Road Investment Strategy in October 2019, which allocated grant funding of £27.4 billion from 2020-2025. Other funding streams include NHS England, the Environment Agency, and various schools funding programmes. We recognise there is still a need for further infrastructure funding, which is why the Government committed £4.3 billion from the Housing Infrastructure Fund for 133 projects across England unlocking over 300,000 homes.