Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Ms Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will review the five-year plan to assume that homes will be built within five years to remove incentives for developers to delay development and speculate on land.

Christopher Pincher: The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that local planning authorities should identify and update annually a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide a minimum of five years' worth of housing against their housing requirement set out in adopted strategic policies. The Government wants to see homes built faster and expects house builders to build out as soon as possible once planning permission is granted. Where build-out is delayed, it is for councils and developers to work closely together to overcome any barriers. To support them, this Government is looking at strengthening the tools available to local authorities to encourage faster build out rates.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2021-09-14/49185 

Housing: Older People – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to increase number of local authorities with local plan policies relating to older people’s housing.

Christopher Pincher: Our planning rules already mean councils must consider the needs of older people when planning for new homes. In 2019 we published guidance to help councils implement the National Planning Policy Framework policies. On 19 January 2021 our Written Ministerial Statement set the expectation that all authorities should have up to date plans in place by the end of 2023.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2021-03-17/170733

Councils To Get Planning Powers Curbed

 55 councils are set to have their planning powers limited after failing to meet the government’s housing delivery targets. The latest Housing Delivery Test results show that 55 councils failed to deliver at least 75% of the number of homes estimated by the government to be needed in their area over the past three years. All 55 councils will become subject to the “presumption in favour of sustainable development”, meaning they will be forced to give greater weight to the government’s National Planning Policy Framework than their local policies on sites not included in an up-to-date local plan. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/more-than-50-councils-to-get-planning-powers-curbed-following-latest-housing-delivery-test-results-69222

Affordable Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities meet the requirement for major planning developments to contain 10 per cent affordable home ownership, as set out in the revised National Planning Policy Framework, published July 2018.

Christopher Pincher: The Framework does not represent a mandatory approach and local authorities are best place to assess what is needed in their communities. However, local authorities are expected to comply with the policy and secure the delivery much needed affordable homes for sale, unless they are able to provide evidence that justifies a different approach.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-02-21/18490

Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance is Department issues to local authorities on building proposals for new homes on flood plains.

Christopher Pincher: The National Planning Policy Framework states that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be directed away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. If new homes are necessary in a flood risk area, and no suitable sites at lower risk are available, the local authority should ensure that the development will be safe and will not increase flood risk elsewhere. Where those tests are not met, development should not be allowed.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-02-07/13934

Green Belt: Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps his Department has taken to protect the green belt from housing developments. 

Mrs Heather Wheeler: In our National Planning Policy Framework, reissued in February 2019, we ask local authorities to protect their Green Belts, making clear that most types of new buildings are inappropriate there, and should be refused planning permission. The revised Framework now also states that a local authority can propose to alter a Green Belt boundary only in exceptional circumstances and only if it can show that it has examined all other reasonable options for meeting its identified development needs.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-07-19/279438

Government Warned Of Truncated Northern Housing Supply

Local authorities in northern England are paring back housing delivery due to the government's National Planning Policy Framework, prompting planning and development consultancy, Turley, to warn of a potential economic impact across the region. The framework sets out government planning policy for England. However, the consultancy says its introduction of a new standardised method for calculating ‘minimum’ housing need is inadvertently encouraging a ‘do minimum’ approach across councils. Turley cites Leeds, where 32 Green Belt sites have been removed from the city’s development plan, as an example of reduced ambition on new development.  Read more on the Property Reporter website.

https://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/government-warned-of-truncated-northern-housing-supply.html

Gardens: Parliamentary Written Answer

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken since May 2010 to tackle garden grabbing and protect residential gardens.

Rishi Sunak: In June 2010 the Government removed domestic gardens in built-up areas from the definition of ‘brownfield’ land. This strengthened the discretion of local authorities to refuse intrusive new dwellings on residential garden land. We retained that policy when we revised the National Planning Policy Framework in June 2018. This does not impose a complete ban on the use of redundant garden land for housing. We expect local authorities to consider what is the appropriate density for a residential area, to resist inappropriate development, and to ensure green infrastructure is maintained in built-up areas.

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-04-05/241488

Planning Permission For New Homes Has Increased Significantly Since 2010

There has been a steady increase in the last eight years in the number of home planning applications granted as a percentage of all applications, up from 73.5% in 2010 to 80.5% now, new research has found. This is despite slower market conditions seeing a notable drop in the number of applications received during 2018, down 4% from an eight year average of 471,000 to 453,000, according to the report from estate agency comparison site GetAgent. However the introduced ethos of ‘presumption towards approval’ via the National Planning Policy Framework does look to have boosted approvals, with an increase of 30,000 planning permissions per annum since 2014, it points out. Read more on the Property Wire website.

https://www.propertywire.com/news/uk/planning-permission-for-new-homes-has-increased-significantly-since-2010/

Almost Half Of Adopted Local Plans Needed An Increase In Housing

Almost half of adopted Local Plans needed an increase in their housing requirement, new research reveals. Despite having six years to act, the same research shows a quarter of councils have still to submit a Local Plan. Latest research from national planning and development consultancy Lichfields,  Planned up and be counted: Local Plan-making since the NPPF 2012, reports that more than half of the plans adopted under the 2012 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will need to be reviewed within two years. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/almost-half-of-adopted-local-plans-needed-an-increase-in-housing/

Build To Rent Schemes Should Be 20% Affordable, Says Government Guidance

As part of an update to its planning practice guidance – which is intended to help planners interpret the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – the government has published a new section on Build to Rent. The guidance states that “20% is generally a suitable benchmark for the level of affordable private rent homes to be provided (and maintained in perpetuity) in any Build to Rent scheme”. It stipulates that affordable private rent should be at least 20% cheaper than the rest of the scheme – in line with the affordable rent product – and should be “physically indistinguishable from the market rent homes in terms of quality and size”, as well as distributed throughout the development. Read more on the MHCLG website.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/build-to-rent

Government Restores ‘Social Rent’ To Definition Of Affordable Housing

The government has restored the term ‘social rent’ to the definition of affordable housing in its national planning rulebook after housing and council bodies voiced concerns.  The new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) now lists homes for rent “set in accordance with the government’s rent policy for social rent or affordable rent, or is at least 20% below local market rents” as one of several acceptable forms of affordable housing. A draft version of the updated NPPF published in March had removed reference to “social rent” while adding mention of Starter Homes and build-to-rent. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6kOB59TM7cgJ:https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/government-restores-social-rent-to-definition-of-affordable-housing-57341+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&safe=vss

Action Needs To Combat 'Historic Low' Social Housing Numbers

The definition of “affordable housing” must include homes for social rent in forthcoming government changes to planning policy to tackle the historic low numbers of social rented homes across the country according to the Local Government Association. The LGA warns that homes specifically for social rent are at risk of being eliminated after a revision to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) dropped the reference to “social rent” homes from the Government’s definition of affordable homes, whilst including Starter Homes and other, less genuinely affordable, forms of housing. It comes amid an already “unprecedented shortage” in affordable housing with the supply of homes for social rent, which provides secure tenancies on low rents, at a historic low. Read more on the LGA website.

https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/action-needs-combat-historic-low-social-housing-numbers

Government’s Flagship New Homes Pledge Branded 'Meaningless'

According to the Housing Secretary, the latest draft of the National Planning Policy Framework – which sets out how the Government will deliver new homes across the country – does not feature the goal. In an answer to a parliamentary question, James Brokenshire said: “The draft revised National Planning Policy Framework does not set a national home building target. It proposes the introduction of a standard method for assessing housing need that would be used locally as the starting point for each area’s plan-making.” But Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey blasted the omission saying: “After eight years of failure, the Conservatives have no plan to fix the housing crisis. Ministers’ housebuilding targets are meaningless if they don’t even feature in the Government’s national housing plan." Read more on the Politics Home website.

https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/communities/housing/news/96171/excl-governments-flagship-new-homes-pledge-branded

Concern Over Plan To Drop Social Rent From Official Definition Of Affordable Housing

The proposed revision National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) drops reference to ‘social rent’ from its glossary definition of affordable housing – but adds the mention of Starter Homes and build-to-rent. In its response to a consultation on the draft document, the National Housing Federation (NHF) said: “The removal of the term ‘social rent’ is worrying. “While the revised definition can be interpreted to include social rent, we believe the term should be explicitly retained.” It added that Starter Homes should not be included in the definition and branded mention of build-to-rent as “confusing”. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:rhUMVVYpcfEJ:https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/concern-over-plan-to-drop-social-rent-from-official-definition-of-affordable-housing-56302+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&safe=vss

Planning Deregulation Reduces The Ability Of Councils To Secure Affordable Homes

A lack of investment in genuine affordable housing alongside deregulation of planning is reducing the ability of councils to secure homes, a report released by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) says. The research undertaken by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) reveals 98% of councils now identify their need for affordable housing as either severe or moderate. Setting out 10 recommendations, the report, ‘Delivering affordable homes in a changing world: Ensuring councils can meet local housing need’, has been released to coincide with the closing date of the government’s consultation on the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework. Read more on 24housing.

http://www.24housing.co.uk/news/planning-deregulation-reduces-the-ability-of-councils-to-secure-affordable-homes/

Raab Asked Not To ‘Hold Back’ On Green Homes

A group representing ambitious cities and local authorities has sent an open letter to Dominic Raab, demanding support for their efforts to cut carbon emissions from new homes through the planning system. The letter proposes new wording of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), as well as a new Ministerial Statement to provide clarity. A changing national policy context for housing in recent years has led to confusion and uncertainty about what can and cannot be done at the local level to raise the sustainability of new build homes – particularly on energy and carbon. The proposed measures would make clear that local authorities have the freedom to set higher sustainability standards in new homes. Read more on the UKGBC website.

https://www.ukgbc.org/news/local-government-leaders-to-ministry-of-housing-dont-hold-us-back-on-green-homes/

Housebuilding Changes Could Mean Fewer, Not More, Affordable Homes

In March this year Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a major housing speech as the government published its draft proposals on changing the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – the set of rules which guide how homes are built. A Shelter analysis concludes that, despite the government’s intentions, parts of the proposals risk resulting in fewer affordable homes being built. This is because an affordable housing loophole, known as a ‘viability assessment‘, could become both more common and more powerful in reducing affordable housing. The definition of affordable housing could also be watered down significantly meaning that what official ‘affordable’ homes do get delivered will likely be less affordable. Read more on the Shelter blog.

http://blog.shelter.org.uk/2018/04/housebuilding-changes-could-mean-fewer-affordable-homes/

Rented Housing: Older People – Parliamentary Written Answer

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that there is a sufficient supply of housing for older people in the private rented, social and council housing sectors.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: In our Housing White Paper, the Government set out proposals to do more to provide the homes we need for all in our society, including older people. We are strengthening the National Planning Policy Framework, so that local planning authorities are expected to have clear policies for addressing the housing needs of older people. Planning authorities should also include a plan policy setting out their approach to promoting Build to Rent. We will be publishing further guidance on housing for older people this summer.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2018-04-16/HL6922

Government Floats ‘National, Non-Negotiable’ Affordable Housing Threshold

The government may move to nationally set “non-negotiable” requirements for affordable housing contribution. The policy is mooted in a consultation document on reforms to the developer contribution system as part of the National Planning Policy Framework shake-up. It states: “These changes will provide continuity and certainty for developers in the short term. In the longer term, the government will continue to explore options for going further. “One option could be for contributions to affordable housing and infrastructure to be set nationally, and to be non-negotiable. Download the consultation from the Gov UK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/685428/Developer_Contributions_Consultation.pdf