Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the amount of housing required in Essex in the next (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Department has not made any specific estimates of the homes required. It is for the relevant planning authorities to determine this. The standard method for assessing local housing need identifies a minimum annual local housing need figure at a local authority level. The method should be used as the starting point in the process of determining how many homes should be planned for.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will call in planning applications ESS/36/17/BTE and ESS/37/17BTE for the Rivenhall Integrated Waste Facility in light of changes to the development proposals made since planning consent to consider the (a) environmental impact and (b) risk to human health of that proposed development.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Secretary of State has received a number of requests for him to call in the planning applications for the development of Rivenhall Integrated Waste Facility. As is normal practice, he will consider the planning issues raised by the applications in the light of call in policy if Essex County Council resolves to approve them. The comments you make will be taken into a consideration. In the meantime, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the proposals. You will be advised of the decision in due course.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Neighbourhood Plan (General) Regulations 2012, what the average time is between submitting an application for designation of a neighbourhood area and the decision on a plan proposal.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The time taken to produce a neighbourhood plan will depend on its complexity and the resources available within a community. We do not formally monitor the production of neighbourhood plans.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to undertake a value for money assessment of funding allocated to local authorities for garden settlement projects; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We have provided or committed £22 million of capacity funding to fund dedicated staff teams and key studies and assessments to underpin delivery of our garden towns and villages. Local authorities are expected to spend capacity funding allocated through the Garden Communities programme on activities for which the funding was awarded. Homes England undertakes day-to-day monitoring of projects on MHCLG’s behalf, and decisions on ongoing funding take account of scheme performance in relation to previous capacity funding awards.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many planning decisions made by (a) himself and (b) the planning inspectorate have been subject to judicial review proceedings in each of the last five years; and if he will list (a) those cases and (b) their outcomes.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In the past 5 years there have been 60 planning decisions made by the Secretary of State, which have been subject to judicial review proceedings. Over the same period, the Planning Inspectorate have had 42.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local plans have been (a) submitted, (b) examined and (c) found to be legally compliant and sound in each of the last five years.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Examination (b) spans the time from submission of the plan to issue of the Inspector’s report. As this may take more than 12 months, it is not possible to give that information in the form requested.
Information on (a) and (c) is as follows:
Year | Local Plans submitted for examination (a) | Local Plan Inspector’s reports issued (c) |
2018 | 48 | 26 |
2017 | 35 | 23 1 |
2016 | 25 | 23 |
2015 | 15 | 26 2 |
2014 | 41 | 33 |
2 In addition one report was issued in 2015 finding a plan unsound.
1 In addition one report was issued in 2017 finding a plan unsound.