Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government has taken to help ensure that local resilience forums and local authorities engage with the local voluntary and community sector to ensure effective support is available to people affected by the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Simon Clarke
MHCLG continues to work with local agencies, including the local voluntary and community sector (VCS), to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.
The local voluntary and community sector, and volunteers, are essential partners for many local support services – both in ‘normal’ times and even more so in the Covid-19 response.
Local resilience forums and local authorities have well established structures in place to work with the voluntary and community sector and, in response to Covid-19, are working alongside VCS partners and are coordinating volunteer support. This includes volunteer hubs or centres in some areas.
To support local engagement of the VCS, the Government has provided support and guidance on partnership working, as well as announcing a £750 million support package to assist voluntary and community sector organisations. The NHS Volunteer Responders are also open to referrals from local authorities and local resilience forums.
Asked by: Paul Bristow (Conservative - Peterborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what powers are available to local authorities to prevent family homes being turned into houses of multiple occupation.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Change of use to a larger House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) housing more than six people always requires an application for planning permission. Such larger HMOs also require a license in order to operate.
For houses up to six people who share facilities, nationally set permitted development rights allow a dwellinghouse (C3) to change use to a House in Multiple Occupation (C4) without the need for a planning application. This enables the change of use without placing unnecessary burdens on landlords and local planning authorities.
Where there is sufficient evidence that it is necessary to protect local amenity or the well-being of the area, a local planning authority may withdraw a permitted development right in a specific area using an Article 4 direction, after consultation with the local community.