Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the sufficiency of the numbers of planning officers in local authorities; and what steps he is taking to address shortages of those officers.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government collects data on the number of second homes in England. The latest data can be found here. National planning policy sets out that planning policies and decisions should consider the need for safe and accessible green infrastructure and open space, and local planning authorities should pursue opportunities for securing measurable net gain for biodiversity, including on brownfield sites. National planning requires local plans to provide for attractive and well-designed walking and cycling networks with supporting facilities such as secure cycle parking. Plans should also protect and enhance public rights of way and access. National Planning Policy already states that local planning authorities should pursue opportunities for securing measurable net gain for biodiversity.
Regarding York, the York local plan remains at examination. The Inspectors have yet to conclude the examination but it is important that the Independent Inspectors are given the opportunity to complete their final report.
The Government is working to release public land for new housing.
Communities must be at the heart of the planning process. The Government’s reforms, detailed in a recent WMS, will increase and enhance opportunities for involvement, so it is simpler, faster and easier for communities to engage with local plans.
We intend to consult shortly on an increase to planning fees that will help provide additional resources to further support the delivery and improvement of planning services.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to create a duty in the planning system to establish nature networks and protect biodiversity.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government collects data on the number of second homes in England. The latest data can be found here. National planning policy sets out that planning policies and decisions should consider the need for safe and accessible green infrastructure and open space, and local planning authorities should pursue opportunities for securing measurable net gain for biodiversity, including on brownfield sites. National planning requires local plans to provide for attractive and well-designed walking and cycling networks with supporting facilities such as secure cycle parking. Plans should also protect and enhance public rights of way and access. National Planning Policy already states that local planning authorities should pursue opportunities for securing measurable net gain for biodiversity.
Regarding York, the York local plan remains at examination. The Inspectors have yet to conclude the examination but it is important that the Independent Inspectors are given the opportunity to complete their final report.
The Government is working to release public land for new housing.
Communities must be at the heart of the planning process. The Government’s reforms, detailed in a recent WMS, will increase and enhance opportunities for involvement, so it is simpler, faster and easier for communities to engage with local plans.
We intend to consult shortly on an increase to planning fees that will help provide additional resources to further support the delivery and improvement of planning services.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to promote the creation of green spaces on brownfield sites.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government collects data on the number of second homes in England. The latest data can be found here. National planning policy sets out that planning policies and decisions should consider the need for safe and accessible green infrastructure and open space, and local planning authorities should pursue opportunities for securing measurable net gain for biodiversity, including on brownfield sites. National planning requires local plans to provide for attractive and well-designed walking and cycling networks with supporting facilities such as secure cycle parking. Plans should also protect and enhance public rights of way and access. National Planning Policy already states that local planning authorities should pursue opportunities for securing measurable net gain for biodiversity.
Regarding York, the York local plan remains at examination. The Inspectors have yet to conclude the examination but it is important that the Independent Inspectors are given the opportunity to complete their final report.
The Government is working to release public land for new housing.
Communities must be at the heart of the planning process. The Government’s reforms, detailed in a recent WMS, will increase and enhance opportunities for involvement, so it is simpler, faster and easier for communities to engage with local plans.
We intend to consult shortly on an increase to planning fees that will help provide additional resources to further support the delivery and improvement of planning services.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to support local authorities in reducing traffic congestion in town centres.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The causes of congestion can be systemic, for example increasing population and urbanisation, or more localised, for example network pinch points, inadequate public transport or road works. Measures to combat congestion can be aimed at increasing capacity and / or decreasing demand.
Local traffic authorities have a statutory duty under the Traffic Management Act 2004 to manage their networks with the aim of ‘securing the expeditious movement of traffic’. The Department for Transport helps local authorities in achieving this by supporting sustainable alternative modes and providing design and other guidance as well as investment in infrastructure and innovative, data-led solutions.
The Government has already made record amounts of funding available to local authorities for investment in active travel schemes since the start of the pandemic. The second statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, published in July of this year, reiterated the Government’s commitment to this important agenda and set out the funding that is projected to be spent on it from 2020/21 to 2024/25.
The National Bus Strategy asked that all English Local Transport Authorities outside London publish Bus Service Improvement Plans, setting out local visions for the step-change in bus services that is needed, driven by what passengers and would-be passengers want. We have awarded over £1 billion to deliver service improvements, bus priority and ambitious fares initiatives.
The Government continues to invest in new technologies and the use of data to better manage road networks and provide accurate data about events such as congestion, to road users. For example, the department has invested several million pounds in creating ‘Street Manager’, a data platform which helps highway authorities and utility companies to plan and co-ordinate their road works.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the funding available to local government to improve air quality.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Latest published figures show that air pollution has reduced significantly since 2010. Emissions of nitrogen oxides have fallen by 44% - and are at their lowest level since records began, sulphur dioxide emissions have fallen by 70% and fine particulate matter emissions are down 18%. However, HM Government recognises that there is more to do to protect people and the environment from the effects of air pollution.
Local authorities have a critical role to play in tackling air pollutants. That is why we are providing £883 million to help local authorities develop and implement local NO2 reduction plans. As part of our commitment to making walking and cycling the natural choice for millions more journeys, we have invested more than £2 billion in funding for cycling and walking over this Parliament. In addition, we have committed over £2.8 billion funding to support local authorities in rolling out electric vehicle charging infrastructure to tackle tailpipe emissions.
Since 2010, we have allocated more than £42 million in funding to local authorities in England to support air quality projects in local communities and reduce emissions affecting schools, businesses, and communities. We expect to allocate at least £7 million in the 2023 round, for which applications have now closed. Successful applicants will be announced early next year.
We will also be providing funding up to £2.3 million to local authorities with Smoke Control Areas for measures introduced through our landmark Environment Act 2021 to improve the enforcement and management of smoke emissions in smoke control areas in England.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps with the Secretary of State for Education to (a) promote walking and cycling to school and (b) develop a reward scheme for children who participate.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Officials from this Department have regular discussions with their colleagues from the Department for Education on how best to enable more walking, wheeling and cycling to school. The Government has a statutory objective, recently confirmed in the second statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy published on 6 July, to increase to 55% by 2025 the percentage of children aged 5-10 who usually walk to school.
The Government has pledged to invest £2 billion in active travel over the current Parliament, and this is allowing many local authorities to invest in better and safer infrastructure, such as school streets, to enable more walking and cycling to school. The Department is also providing £2 million of funding this financial year for a Walk To School programme delivered by the charity Living Streets. The programme includes incentives such as badges to encourage more children to walk to school.
The Government is providing a record £20 million this financial year to support cycle training for children through the Bikeability programme. This should give many more children the confidence to cycle safely to school as well as for other journeys.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June to Question 14617, with reference to the around £780 million funding allocated for bus infrastructure from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements, how much and what proportion of that funding has been (a) allocated to (i) local authorities and (ii) city region partners and (b) spent by those authorities and partnerships on expenditure other than that for bus infrastructure.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government has committed to investing £5.7bn through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) in the transport networks of eight city regions in England over the next five years until 2027. Settlements were confirmed to 7 eligible Mayoral Combined Authorities in April 2022 based on proposals put forward by Mayors. The funding is distributed to the Mayoral Combined Authorities, who will report regularly to the Department for Transport on how the funding is spent. Negotiation of a settlement for the North East region is pending appropriate governance being in place.
CRSTS will support capital investments in public and sustainable transport across a range of modes including rail, bus, tram, and walking and cycling. Based on the programmes set out by city regions, this is expected to include an investment of approximately £780m in bus interventions over this Parliament.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a local authority that funds Active Travel investment from sources other than central government funding must carry out the work to the standards laid out in Local Transport Note 1/20 Cycling Infrastructure Design as if the funding had been provided by central government.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to increasing cycling and walking and making our roads safer for all vulnerable road users. This is vital if we are to realise the considerable health and environmental benefits of active travel. In April the Government updated its additional Network Management Duty guidance to local authorities setting out what it expects them to do in making changes to their road layouts to encourage walking and cycling.
However, the detailed design of cycle lanes is a matter for individual local traffic authorities. Design advice for cycling infrastructure, can be found in the non-statutory guidance document Local Transport Note 1/20 ‘Cycle Infrastructure Design’. Local authorities are free to make their own decisions about the streets under their care, provided they take account of the relevant legislation. They are responsible for ensuring that their actions are within the law and are accountable to local people for their decisions and their performance. Local councillors are responsible for ensuring that local decisions about street infrastructure take account of the needs and opinions of local people. If Her Majesty's Government are not involved with the funding, then the Department would continue to advise that LTN 1/20 guidance be consulted to ensure designs are of the utmost quality.
A key part of the Government’s strategy to increase levels of walking and cycling is setting up a new Executive Agency, Active Travel England (ATE). ATE will ensure the Government’s unprecedented £2 billion investment in active travel makes the biggest difference possible to the increasing number of people walking and cycling. ATE is currently working in shadow form and is developing toolkits for scheme designs.
Asked by: Andy Carter (Conservative - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the nationwide cycle network benefits both cyclists and motorists.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The management of local roads, including provision of cycling facilities, is the responsibility of individual local traffic authorities. It is for them to ensure their streets are designed to provide safe movement for all road users. The Department has published updated guidance on Cycle Infrastructure Design to help local authorities deliver high quality cycle infrastructure in the future which can be accessed at www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycle-infrastructure-design-ltn-120. Cycling clearly does not work for everyone, or for every journey. But the more people that cycle, the more roadspace is freed up for those who really need to drive. High-quality infrastructure is a key part of enabling this.
The National Cycle Network (NCN), managed by Sustrans, is a UK-wide network of signed paths and routes for walking and cycling. It stretches over 12,000 miles and in 2019 an estimated 4.2 million people used the NCN to make almost 650 million journeys. Over 50% of journeys were made by modes other than a bicycle including equestrians.
On 14 May 2022 the Department announced £35m of funding for the National Cycle Network to deliver improved surfacing, widened paths and greater accessibility, such as the removal of barriers that impact disabled people and cyclists. Many of these projects are focused on canal towpaths, which are important elements of many local cycling and walking networks.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, following the institution of Active Travel England, what discussions he has had with representatives of local authorities on the expertise required to implement Gear Change and the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Department agrees that local authorities need the capacity and capability to deliver the objectives set out in these ambitious strategies. Active Travel England will have a key role to play in supporting and upskilling local authority officers, and it has already started this process. It has, for example, held meetings with, and provided detailed feedback on scheme designs, to individual local authorities. It has also run events such as a major online workshop in April for local authority planners and transport officers, which was attended by over 400 officers from 120 local authorities. The Department has also been running a series of local authority training sessions, which will see over 1,000 officers receiving training on cycle infrastructure design.