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35983

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local planning authorities in (a) improving the viability of brownfield sites and (b) restarting stalled developments.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	185957
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>Kick-starting stalled developments</em></p><p>This Government has introduced a series of measures to support stalled house building. These include:</p><p>· The Get Britain Building investment fund, providing over £500 million of finance which has so far helped start 11,893 new homes on stalled sites (as of February 2014).</p><p>· The Growing Places Fund is providing £770 million to deliver the infrastructure needed to unlock stalled schemes that will promote economic growth, create jobs and build homes. The fund has been fully allocated to Local Enterprise Partnerships and the devolved administrations to fund local projects.</p><p>· The £474 million Local Infrastructure Fund investment fund is supporting the delivery of upfront infrastructure for locally-supported, large scale housing sites and commercial development; it also provides capacity funding and brokerage support to local authorities to help them progress major schemes through the planning process. Nearly 80,000 homes have been unlocked on fifteen different sites. A further thirteen schemes are currently being assessed for investment, which we believe have the potential to deliver nearly 40,000 homes.</p><p>· The Autumn Statement committed an additional £1 billion of Local Infrastructure Fund funding to unlock locally-led housing schemes capable of delivering up to a further 250,000 new homes, and a second round prospectus will be published in due course.</p><p>· The Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 enables developers with any Section 106 agreement to apply for a review of the affordable housing component to ensure development is not being made unviable by unrealistic requirements. Such unviable Section 106 agreements result in no development, no regeneration and no community benefits: a sensible review can result in more housing and more affordable housing.</p><p>· As the housing market has improved, we have ended the temporary measure (introduced by the last Administration) which allowed developers to roll forward their planning permissions; this ending of the measure will increase the incentive for developers to start on site before permission expires.</p><p>· We are also seeking to tackle the inappropriate use of planning conditions and speed up the process of gaining non-planning consents.</p><p>· The Budget announced a £525 million Builders' Finance Fund to assist small and medium sized developers to access finance to support the delivery of housing schemes of between 15 and 250 units, helping kick-start stalled sites and deliver around 15,000 units over four years.</p><p><em>Supporting development on brownfield land</em></p><p>Freeing up brownfield land for regeneration and development is a key priority for my department. Our actions include:</p><p>· We have amended planning regulations to make it easier to change the use of an existing building from commercial to residential use, retail to residential use and agricultural to residential use. Permitted development rights have been expanded, including for flats above shops and allowing for new temporary uses. The Budget announced our intention to further extend these flexibilities.</p><p>· The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning should encourage the effective use of land by re-using brownfield land provided that it is not of high environmental value, and that local councils can set locally appropriate targets for using brownfield land. We have also amended planning practice guidance to stress the importance of bringing brownfield land into use.</p><p>· We have abolished the last Government's Pathfinder programme which sought to demolish homes and instead we have focused on refurbishment and getting empty homes into use. We are investing £160 million specifically to bring empty homes back into use. The New Homes Bonus rewards long-term empty homes being brought back into use and we have given councils the flexibility to remove tax subsidies given to empty homes, and use the money to keep the overall rate of council tax down. The number of empty homes in England has fallen to its lowest rate ever according to the Empty Homes Agency.</p><p>· My Department has been supporting the Olympic legacy, driving renewal and regeneration in east London, replacing over 740 acres of polluted, low-grade industrial land and premises with new sports and community facilities, parks, homes, shops and transport infrastructure.</p><p>· We are working with the Mayor of London to unlock the construction of 11,000 new homes at Barking Riverside, and extend transport infrastructure.</p><p>· A new garden city will be delivered on brownfield land in Ebbsfleet, supported by an Urban Development Corporation and up to £200 million of public investment. The last Administration pledged in its 2003 Sustainable Communities Plan to regenerate Ebbsfleet but failed to deliver.</p><p>· The new Right to Contest builds on our existing Community Right to Reclaim Land, which lets communities ask that under-used or unused land owned by public bodies is brought back into beneficial use. This new Right applies to sites currently in use, but are not vital for operations. It gives businesses and members of the public an opportunity to challenge government on the best use of its estate.</p><p>· We have a comprehensive programme to sell surplus public sector land and property, freeing up taxpayers' money and providing land for new homes. As at the end of December we had released surplus government owned land with capacity for 68,000 homes to be built. We have strengthened the role of the Homes and Communities Agency through a targeted programme of transfers from other Government Departments and agencies. In addition, to ensure land is released efficiently, the Homes and Communities Agency will be Government's land disposal agency. This builds on the Homes and Communities Agency's expertise and experience of complex land remediation and disposals as well as their close relationships with local planning authorities.</p><p>· Through the Strategic Land and Property Review we have identified scope to generate £5 billion of receipts from government land and property between 2015 and 2020. This will put land and property into the hands of those who can exploit them for commercial purposes – creating opportunities for housing and economic development.</p><p>· Changes to Community Infrastructure Levy rules now provide an increased incentive for brownfield development, and extended exemptions for empty buildings being brought back into. We have recently published a consultation paper to lift Section 106 burdens on vacant buildings being returned to use.</p><p>· The Budget announced an Estate Regeneration fund which will provide £150 million to help kick start and accelerate the regeneration of housing estates.</p><p>I hope this outlines the decisive action that this Government is taking.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

46865

	registered interest
	date	03/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many planning applications made by betting shops have been rejected by local authorities and subsequently overturned by the Planning Ispectorate in (a) Newham and (b) the UK in each year since 2008.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	195254
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>We hold information for England; information for other parts of the UK is a matter for the devolved Administrations.</p><p>The table below sets out the number of planning appeals on betting shops decided by the Planning Inspectorate in England in each year since 2008.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><em>Decision Year</em></p></td><td><p><em>Allowed</em></p></td><td><p><em>Dismissed</em></p></td><td><p><em>Total</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>22</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>17</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>27</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>18</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>There is no clear trend, other than fewer appeals being allowed in the last two years, and I would note that the numbers involved are small. Any planning application or appeal needs to be considered on its individual merits in light of the prevailing local circumstances and planning policies.</p><p>During this period, three appeals relating to the London Borough of Newham in 2011 were allowed involving changes to A2 use.</p><p>The detailed reasoning for the approvals were outlined in the three decision letters, but it may assist the hon. Member to note that (a) one case involved an application which had been rejected on grounds it was a move to a non-retail use, yet the inspector noted that the premises had been operating as a non-retail use for over 40 years, (b) another had been rejected on similar grounds, yet there was already an extant planning permission for the premises to change to a non-retail use, and (c) the other was since the premises was changing from an amusement arcade and was already in use for a form of gambling.</p><p>The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is undertaking a broader review of gambling policy. This Government is taking action to support healthy and vibrant local high streets. This is part of a wider set of measures designed to get empty and redundant buildings back into productive use and make it easier for valued town centre businesses like shops, banks and cafés to open new premises, while giving councils greater powers to tackle the harm to local amenity caused by a concentration of particular uses.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

46868

	registered interest
	date	03/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in how many cases an Article 4 direction has resulted in the rejection of a planning application which has not subsequently been overturned by the Planning Inspectorate; and what assessment he has made of the typical circumstances of such cases.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	195255
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>This information is not held centrally.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

49580

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when he expects the solar PV permitted development rights consultation referred to in his Department's solar strategy to be published; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Sunderland Central
	tabling member printed	Julie Elliott
	uin	197720
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p>I have been asked to reply.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Communities and Local Government is working with the Department for Energy and Climate Change on the introduction of a permitted development right in England for the installation of rooftop solar panels up to 1MWp on commercial buildings. This builds on the existing permitted development right for non-domestic properties which allows the installation of solar panels up to 50kWp. We expect to consult on this proposal over the summer.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4127 label Biography information for Julie Elliott

43348

	registered interest
	date	17/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many planning appeals resulted in local authority decisions being overturned by the planning inspector in South Staffordshire in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011, (d) 2012 and (e) 2013.
	tabling member constituency	South Staffordshire
	tabling member printed	Gavin Williamson
	uin	192251
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p>Planning is a quasi-judicial process; it is a long-standing feature of the planning system that there is a right of appeal, just as there are with other local quasi-judicial decisions such as on licensing applications, gambling applications or parking fines.</p><p>The table below shows planning appeal decisions by calendar year for South Staffordshire District Council. To assist public scrutiny, I have provided comparative figures for a similar period before 2010.</p><p> </p><table><thead><tr><td><p><em>Calendar Year</em></p></td><td><p><em>Allowed</em></p></td><td><p><em>Split</em></p></td><td><p><em>Dismissed</em></p></td><td><p><em>Total</em></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>25</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>37</p></td><td><p>62</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>27</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>53</p></td><td><p>81</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>26</p></td><td><p>40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>35</p></td><td><p>53</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>19</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>33</p></td><td><p>52</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>26</p></td><td><p>42</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>22</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Whilst the precise number of appeals will fluctuate from year to year, this table shows that the number of appeals both (a) received and (b) allowed has fallen in recent years.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4108 label Biography information for Sir Gavin Williamson

48774

	registered interest
	date	28/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to amend regulations governing the change of use of residential homes to care homes to promote enforcement of the classification of care homes as C2 residential institutions.
	tabling member constituency	South Staffordshire
	tabling member printed	Gavin Williamson
	uin	196902
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) provides a C2 use class for residential institutions and a C3 (b) use class for houses occupied by up to six people living together as a single household and receiving care. This allows for a mix of types of care homes to meet local needs. Where a change of use has taken place without the necessary planning permission it is for the local planning authority to determine whether it would be appropriate to take enforcement action.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4108 label Biography information for Sir Gavin Williamson

46861

	registered interest
	date	03/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that betting shops are not placed in the same planning use class as cafes, banks and public houses.
	tabling member constituency	Redditch
	tabling member printed	Karen Lumley
	uin	195298
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Yes.</p><p>Betting shops are currently in the A2 (“financial and professional services”) use class. The Budget announced that we will consult on introducing a wider ‘retail' use class; I can confirm that this would not include betting shops or payday loan shops.</p><p>Moreover, to increase access to retail banking and to encourage new entrants, we have already recently amended secondary legislation such that shops (A1) are now able to change to banks, building societies, credit unions and friendly societies, within the A2 use class. This does not cover betting shops or payday loan shops.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4023 label Biography information for Karen Lumley

47915

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will impose a moratorium on processing all planning applications submitted by UK Coal Production Ltd until that body has demonstrated it can meet its obligations on restoration and section 106 contributions.
	tabling member constituency	North West Leicestershire
	tabling member printed	Andrew Bridgen
	uin	196068
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Coal extraction is handled through a locally-led planning process and decisions on planning applications are for the relevant mineral planning authority.</p><p>Schedule 5 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 gives mineral planning authorities the power to impose planning conditions on mineral operators to provide for site restoration and aftercare with their application for minerals extraction. In addition the National Planning Policy Framework and planning guidance allows mineral planning authorities to request financial guarantees from applicants to underpin the conditions covering the restoration and aftercare of a site in exceptional circumstances.</p><p>New Section 106 agreements are negotiated between the developer and the applicant. Existing legislation allows those entering into the planning obligation to specify the date or dates when any required sum is to be paid to the planning authority. Section 106 planning obligation agreements are legally binding, and the mineral planning authority can enforce any breach of an agreement.</p><p> </p><p><em> </em></p><p> </p><p><em> </em></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4133 label Biography information for Andrew Bridgen

49666

	registered interest
	date	06/05/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to promote the enhancement of urban (a) green infrastructure and (b) waterways.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
	uin	197761
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that local planning authorities should plan positively for the creation, protection, enhancement and management of green infrastructure. This is supported by the recently published planning guidance which includes guidance on green infrastructure.</p><p>The maintenance and promotion of inland waterways is a matter for navigation authorities rather than Government. However, Government provides grant in aid funding to the two largest navigation authorities in England and Wales – the Canal &amp; River Trust and the Environment Agency.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

50202

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many conversions of office premises to housing have been notified to him since the lifting of planning approval requirements for such conversions; and how many social housing units have been included in such conversions.
	tabling member constituency	Islington North
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Corbyn
	uin	198144
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>New homes are being created now because of the permitted development right for office to residential change of use. These new homes are helping to address the country's housing need regardless of tenure. Developers seeking to convert an office to a residential property are required to seek prior approval from the local planning authority. A survey by Estates Gazette has found that there were more than 2,250 applications for change of use from office to residential in the first six months since the change was introduced. Some of these developments are, in themselves, each set to deliver more than 100 homes. The Department will begin collecting data on the number of prior approval applications from local planning authorities later in the year, covering applications from April 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles previous answer version 9732 answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	185 label Biography information for Jeremy Corbyn