Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that planning regulation does not hinder the effective implementation of the 5G mobile signal.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In 2022, the government made changes to planning regulations to provide mobile operators with the flexibility to upgrade existing sites in England for 5G delivery, enhance coverage and meet the growing demands for network capacity. The reforms were designed to reduce the time, cost and uncertainty involved in upgrading mobile network infrastructure and to encourage greater use and sharing of existing infrastructure. The UK Government is committed to supporting investment in high-quality, reliable digital connectivity so that communities can benefit from faster economic growth and greater social inclusion. Permitted development rights for telecommunications infrastructure have been developed to ensure planning supports this mission. This government has committed to further reforms to the planning system including making it easier to build digital infrastructure.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage local authorities to consult directors of public health when (1) creating local plans, and (2) taking planning decisions.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As part of the ongoing government consultation ‘Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other changes to the planning system’ which was launched on Tuesday 30 July, we are seeking views on proposed changes to the NPPF intended to support the provision of public infrastructure and to create sustainable, healthy communities.
Contributions from developers play an important role in delivering the infrastructure that local communities expect to see alongside new development. The Government will focus on improving the system of developer contributions.
The NPPF makes clear that plans should set out the contributions expected from development. This should include setting out the levels and types of affordable housing provision required, along with other infrastructure (such as that needed for health, open space, and transport). Plan-makers should work in collaboration with the local community, developers, and other stakeholders to create realistic, deliverable policies.
It is important that local planning authorities prepare, and keep up to date, a local plan as the primary basis for identifying what development is needed in an area. This helps ensure that local strategies to improve health and wellbeing and the provision of the required health infrastructure are supported and considered in plans (including in the preparation of strategic policies for community facilities) and in planning decisions.
Working with the advice and support of the Director of Public Health, plan-makers may also need to involve key groups in the local health and wellbeing system, including Health and Wellbeing Boards.
The Government is committed to promoting active travel and ensuring that routes identified in Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) are considered in planning decisions. Active Travel England (ATE), established as an executive agency within the Department for Transport, acts as a statutory consultee in the planning system, reviewing active travel provisions in major planning applications to ensure they align with the standards and principles set out in national design standards. This ensures that new developments support and enhance active travel routes identified in LCWIPs.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Exmoor National Park Authority on change of use for rural pubs in Tiverton and Minehead constituency.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Planning permission is always required to change use of a pub, ensuring that local consideration can be given to any such proposals through the planning application process, in consultation with the local community. Defra cannot comment on individual planning cases.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many proposed homes have received planning permission to be built but have not been built after (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four, (e) five and (f) six years or more.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Estimates of how many homes received planning permission in each year are published by the department as part of its quarterly statistics on Planning Applications in England and can be found here: Planning applications statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
We do not hold information on how many of these had not been built after one, two, three, four, five, six years or more.
Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, which onshore wind farms in the UK have a decommissioning bond as part of their planning consent agreement.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Given the large number of operational wind turbines within the UK, the Government does not hold this information centrally. Instead, this will be held by the relevant local planning authority.
Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what percentage of existing onshore wind farms in England have a decommissioning bond as part of their planning consent agreement.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Given the large number of operational wind turbines within the UK, the Government does not hold this information centrally. Instead, this will be held by the relevant local planning authority.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to alter planning regulations to require permission for changes from residential use class to a new short term let use class.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer my Hon Friend to the answer I gave to Question UIN 426 on 26 July 2024.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
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 it her policy to make the reuse and recycling of materials a material consideration in the granting of planning permission for a replacement building; and what her policy is on local authorities adopting such regulatory requirements.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy for Waste (NPPW), which is a material consideration in planning decisions, already includes policies on the reuse and recycling of materials when considering development proposals.
Paragraph 8 sets out that when determining planning applications for non-waste development, local planning authorities should, to the extent appropriate to their responsibilities, ensure that the handling of waste arising from the construction and operation of development maximises reuse and recovery opportunities, and minimises off-site disposal.
The planning practice guidance for waste include further advice on this matter.
In addition, chapter 17 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) outlines further policy to support the consideration and use of recycled materials.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her policy is on promoting the use of Local Development Orders by local planning authorities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local development orders are an important tool to enable local planning authorities to proactively grant planning permission for specific developments or classes of development.
The National Planning Policy Framework encourages local planning authorities to use local development orders for particular areas or categories of development where the impacts would be acceptable, and in particular where this development would promote economic, social or environmental gains for the area.
The Planning Advisory Service has also published best practice guidance on the use of local development orders and we encourage local planning authorities to take advantage of this guidance.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, published on 30 July 2024, what (a) changes she plans to make to planning fees and (b) the total planning fees would be for a (i) lawful development certificate and (ii) retrospective planning application for a householder development.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The consultation in question includes proposals to increase householder fees and other planning fees. We will consider the responses received and use them to inform continued policy development.