Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to review the development consent order process for solar projects to increase local authority input on battery storage safety.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
National planning policy and guidance clearly considers safety aspects of a proposed energy development, with expectations set out early for applicants to submit supporting information with their application for the proposed development.
The overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1) sets out the role of the Health and Safety Executive as a statutory consultee in the planning system as well as how the Secretary of State should account for safety concerns in their decision making.
The government updated its Planning Practice Guidance (August 2023) to encourage battery storage developers to engage with Local Fire and Rescue Services before submitting a planning application. National Fire Chiefs guidance sets out how risks should be identified early on in the design process. Local authorities are consulted by applicants and can engage in the Development Consent Order process formally through relevant representations, local impact reports or through hearings at examination.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) training and (b) resources her Department has provided to fire and rescue services to respond to battery energy storage system-related incidents.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is the responsibility of fire and rescue authorities to ensure that firefighters receive the appropriate equipment and training to safely respond to the wide range of incidents that they attend.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) also provides guidance to fire and rescue services to help keep firefighters and the public safe. In 2023, the NFCC published guidance on Battery Energy Storage System sites.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to fire and rescue services on responding to incidents involving large-scale battery energy storage systems.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is the responsibility of fire and rescue authorities to ensure that firefighters receive the appropriate equipment and training to safely respond to the wide range of incidents that they attend.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) also provides guidance to fire and rescue services to help keep firefighters and the public safe. In 2023, the NFCC published guidance on Battery Energy Storage System sites.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to ensure that new housing developments in rural areas are accompanied by appropriate infrastructure.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 26106 on 5 February 2025.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department takes to monitor the response times of complaints made against registered architects to the Architects Registration Board.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is an independent regulator. As the sponsoring department, MHCLG regularly engages with the ARB to stay abreast of its activities. This includes consideration of performance figures, which the ARB publishes quarterly, and any potential risks regarding compliance with its statutory responsibilities. However, MHCLG has no role in the oversight of individual cases or ARB’s operational decisions, to maintain ARB’s regulatory independence.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to take steps to monitor the adequacy of the professional indemnity insurance required for architects; and what steps her Department is taking to help support consumers with consumer recourse.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is important for all architects to maintain appropriate financial protection against liability so that clients and building users have a route to redress in the event of a negligence claim. The independent regulator, the Architects Registration Board (ARB), has set expectations for architects to hold adequate insurance arrangements. MHCLG is supportive of the ARB’s work on this topic and has no plans to implement a monitoring regime for architects’ professional indemnity insurance at the moment.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing water reed to be used as an alternative to thatching straw for protected thatched roofs.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
My Department has no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing water reed as an alternative thatching material for historic buildings.
Any works to demolish any part of a listed building or to alter or extend it in a way that affects its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest require listed building consent. It is for local planning authorities to decide whether to grant listed building consent depending on the particular circumstances of each case.