Stakeholders report that the use of viability assessments can add complexity and uncertainty to the planning process. This can lead to delays and diminished contributions towards infrastructure and affordable housing.<\/p>
The Government consulted on proposals to reform the viability assessment process within the Planning for the right homes in the right places consultation<\/em>. This will create more certainty about the contributions developers are expected to make to affordable housing and reduce the use of viability assessments at the planning application stage. The viability of the expected contributions should be tested at the plan-making stage. Where tested in plan-making, the issue should not usually need to be tested again at the planning application stage.<\/p> The consultation has now closed and we are currently analysing the responses. A further announcement will be made in due course.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharma"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-12-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "118049"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-12-14T17:03:26.03Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-12-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Affordable Housing"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has made an assessment of the extent to which the use of viability assessments could reduce affordable housing contributions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4602", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Wera Hobhouse"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bath"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Wera Hobhouse"}
], "uin" : "118048"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/802362", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/802362/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Stakeholders report that the use of viability assessments can add complexity and uncertainty to the planning process. This can lead to delays and diminished contributions towards infrastructure and affordable housing.<\/p> The Government consulted on proposals to reform the viability assessment process within the Planning for the right homes in the right places consultation<\/em>. This will create more certainty about the contributions developers are expected to make to affordable housing and reduce the use of viability assessments at the planning application stage. The viability of the expected contributions should be tested at the plan-making stage. Where tested in plan-making, the issue should not usually need to be tested again at the planning application stage.<\/p> The consultation has now closed and we are currently analysing the responses. A further announcement will be made in due course.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharma"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-12-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "118048"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-12-14T17:03:26.077Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-12-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Affordable Housing"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to prevent housing developers using loopholes in the Government's planning policy to reduce the number of affordable houses.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4602", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Wera Hobhouse"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bath"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Wera Hobhouse"}
], "uin" : "118049"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/782655", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/782655/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " An enabling power was included in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 allowing requirements for electrical safety standards in the private rented sector (PRS), and their enforcement, to be set through secondary legislation (affirmative) at a later date. Following Royal Assent, a Working Group of relevant experts was established to provide recommendations to ministers on what, if any, legislative requirements should be introduced. The Working Group\u2019s report has been published online at:<\/p>