Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on supporting garden communities.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
This Government is committed to supporting the development of locally-led garden communities. In May this year, I announced a package of £15 million to support 43 garden communities from Cornwall to Carlisle. This brings the total support since the launch of the programme in 2014 to over £69.4 million.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
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 potential merits of limiting the number of takeaway food outlets permitted in town centres.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Planning permission will always be required to create or change use to a hot food takeaway. This will allow local planning authorities to fully consider any such proposals through the planning application process, in line with the local plan for the area.
Planning practice guidance is clear that planning policies and supplementary planning documents can, where justified, seek to limit the proliferation of particular uses where evidence demonstrates this is appropriate (and where such uses require planning permission), and many local planning authorities have done so.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
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 adequacy of existing powers local authorities have to manage the number of takeaway food outlets in town centres.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Planning permission will always be required to create or change use to a hot food takeaway. This will allow local planning authorities to fully consider any such proposals through the planning application process, in line with the local plan for the area.
Planning practice guidance is clear that planning policies and supplementary planning documents can, where justified, seek to limit the proliferation of particular uses where evidence demonstrates this is appropriate (and where such uses require planning permission), and many local planning authorities have done so.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what further powers in the planning system can be provided to local authorities to manage the number of fast food restaurants in town centres.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Planning permission will always be required to create or change use to a hot food takeaway. This will allow local planning authorities to fully consider any such proposals through the planning application process, in line with the local plan for the area.
Planning practice guidance is clear that planning policies and supplementary planning documents can, where justified, seek to limit the proliferation of particular uses where evidence demonstrates this is appropriate (and where such uses require planning permission), and many local planning authorities have done so.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, (a) how many and (b) which local authorities have used the Government New Homes Bonus Scheme to provide authorised traveller pitches for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We do not centrally hold data on how local authorities spend New Homes Bonus allocations. Bonus payments paid to local authorities are unringfenced, meaning the bonus can be spent as they see fit. This approach is in recognition of local areas being best placed to understand local priorities.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what standards his Department sets for authorised permanent sites and traveller sites for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community; and what level of inspection is carried out to ensure that local authorities' provision of sites meets those standards.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
We encourage local planning authorities to make their own assessment of need for traveller sites and in producing their local plan, to identify sites to meet that need. Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about the number and location of such sites locally, having had due regard to national policy and local circumstances.
Privately run Gypsy and Traveller sites with appropriate planning permission are subject to the local authority site licencing regime under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. Local authorities have discretion to attach conditions to a licence and can issue a compliance notice for a breach of a condition.
Local authorities are responsible for repairs and maintenance of permanent Gypsy and Traveller sites they own, under the Mobile Homes Act 1983. Local authorities set out these responsibilities in individual Mobile Homes pitch agreements.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
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 is taking to help ensure that local authorities are providing a sufficient quantity of traveller pitches to meet the needs of the Gypsy, Roman and Traveller community.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
We encourage local planning authorities to make their own assessment of need for traveller sites and in producing their local plan, to identify sites to meet that need. Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about the number and location of such sites locally, having had due regard to national policy and local circumstances.
Privately run Gypsy and Traveller sites with appropriate planning permission are subject to the local authority site licencing regime under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. Local authorities have discretion to attach conditions to a licence and can issue a compliance notice for a breach of a condition.
Local authorities are responsible for repairs and maintenance of permanent Gypsy and Traveller sites they own, under the Mobile Homes Act 1983. Local authorities set out these responsibilities in individual Mobile Homes pitch agreements.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the level of unmet demand for authorised traveller sites across the UK.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
We encourage local planning authorities to make their own assessment of need for traveller sites and in producing their local plan, to identify sites to meet that need. Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about the number and location of such sites locally, having had due regard to national policy and local circumstances.
Privately run Gypsy and Traveller sites with appropriate planning permission are subject to the local authority site licencing regime under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. Local authorities have discretion to attach conditions to a licence and can issue a compliance notice for a breach of a condition.
Local authorities are responsible for repairs and maintenance of permanent Gypsy and Traveller sites they own, under the Mobile Homes Act 1983. Local authorities set out these responsibilities in individual Mobile Homes pitch agreements.