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Planning for the Future
12 March 2020
Lead MP
Robert Jenrick
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
HousingClimateStandards & Ethics
Other Contributors: 51
At a Glance
Robert Jenrick raised concerns about planning for the future in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The Government are committed to supporting home ownership and ensuring that young people have the same opportunities as previous generations. Over 241,000 homes were built last year, more than at any point in the last three decades. However, despite this progress, there is a need for further action to address high rents and make home ownership more attainable for younger generations. The Government plans to introduce new legislation on building safety and renters' rights while also launching initiatives like a planning White Paper to modernize regulations and streamline processes, ensuring greater transparency and community engagement in the development of local plans.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
The Government will invest £12 billion into affordable homes, the largest cash investment in a decade. They aim to deliver a mix of social rent and affordable rent properties, as well as shared ownership and supported housing options. Additionally, there is a focus on building better communities with an emphasis on good design and sustainability, including new developments like net-zero projects and environmentally sustainable towns.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
The Minister emphasises the record number of homes built last year and the increased investment in affordable housing from £12 billion to a new level. He highlights the commitment to infrastructure funding to unlock more homes across the country, with plans for a larger single housing infrastructure fund. The building safety fund has been expanded to help leaseholders, and the Government is committed to publishing further research on unsafe cladding soon. Jenrick also supports innovative community-led initiatives in housing and small-scale community development through rural exception sites.
Welcomes the new money for affordable housing and encourages the Secretary of State to ensure that funds reach innovators such as the National Community Land Trust Network and Right to Build Task Force, supporting smaller communities in building homes through various means like self-building.
Clive Betts
Lab
Sheffield South East
While welcoming some aspects of the statement, Clive Betts expresses concerns about whether the £1 billion investment for cladding is sufficient and questions the need to review permitted development reforms. He suggests reforming the Land Compensation Act 1961 to reduce land costs, which act as a barrier to development, and proposes that housing needs assessment reforms should aim to level up by promoting more development in northern regions.
John Howell
Con
Henley
Urges the Secretary of State to be radical in reforming the planning system and strengthens neighbourhood plans against district council problems.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Responds to concerns about local communities' hard work being undermined by district councils, emphasising review of cases where this has happened. Also discusses commitment to a green revolution in housing through the future homes standard and consultation on CO2 emissions reduction.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Encourages the Secretary of State to enshrine the climate emergency as a core purpose in the planning system, emphasising the need for net-zero development standards.
Kevin Hollinrake
Con
Thirsk and Malton
Welcomes the First Homes initiative and suggests extending it to directly commissioning first homes on public land, potentially combining with Help to Buy to improve affordability.
Matt Western
Lab
Warwick and Leamington
Highlights the need for higher housing densities in urban areas to prevent development on floodplains and promote sustainable growth.
Bob Blackman
Con
Harrow East
Questions the Secretary of State about council homes targets, affordability measures, and the right-to-buy policy's impact on social rent properties.
Anneliese Dodds
Lab Co-op
Oxford East
Inquires about the impact of Public Works Loan Board changes and First Homes policy on social rent home production by local councils.
Welcomes the statement on planning system reform and asks for measures to ensure developers consider existing communities' rights and needs during new-build housing development.
Mitcham and Morden
Highlights problematic green-belt sites in London that could provide much-needed homes, urging action from local councils and the Mayor of London to unlock these sites for development.
Richard Fuller
Con
North Bedfordshire
Welcomes the initiatives in the statement, particularly the development corporations on the Oxford-Cambridge arc. Raises concerns about public access to services, especially GPs, amid housing demand increases.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Emphasises the need for sensitive and environmentally sustainable housing developments through development corporations. Highlights the importance of infrastructure accompanying new housing.
Hilary Benn
Lab
Leeds South
Welcomes the £1 billion cladding fund but calls for a contact group to expedite the removal of unsafe cladding and prevent delays.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Acknowledges the work done on cladding issues, detailing plans to open up the scope of the fund to other dangerous materials. Acknowledges the complexity but commits to working with stakeholders.
John Hayes
Con
South Holland and The Deepings
Welcomes the commitment to a fast track for beauty in construction, suggesting consideration of sprawl and out-of-town developments. Urges revitalisation of town centres.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Commits to mitigating urban sprawl through gentle density in urban areas, supported by the high streets and town centres fund from the £3.6 billion towns fund.
Questions how the forthcoming building safety Bill will bring about culture change, upskilling of workforce, and adequate resources for enforcement and local authorities.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Outlines plans to establish a new regime with duties on construction industry entities and individuals for safety throughout a building’s occupation. Mentions the role of the Health and Safety Executive in managing this through the Building Safety Regulator.
Asks about plans to make it easier for people to get on the housing ladder in their local area, highlighting its importance for keeping families together and strengthening communities.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Details policies such as First Homes policy offering discounts for first-time buyers, long-term fixed-rate mortgages, and existing home ownership schemes like Help to Buy.
Stephen Timms
Lab
East Ham
Questions whether leaseholders will be required to pay for the replacement of cladding on their block. Inquires about timeline for replacing unsafe cladding in residential buildings above 18 metres.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Confirms intention that leaseholders should not have to pay for cladding replacement and discusses the flexibility of the scheme for buildings just below 18 metres.
Expresses concerns about a development in Ifield by Homes England, citing its failure to meet criteria on green fields and floodplains.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Acknowledges opposition and commits to working with the MP to refine schemes as much as possible. Announces a review of how planning interacts with floodplains due to increased flooding risks.
Andrew Slaughter
Lab
Hammersmith and Chiswick
Highlights that money allocated for cladding removal applies only to buildings over 18 metres, leaving low-rise building leaseholders struggling. Asks what the Government plans to do about this issue.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Explains that the fund is for high-rise buildings based on expert advice and details efforts to work with lenders and insurers for buildings below 18 metres.
William Wragg
Con
Bury South
Inexplicably, the Mayor of Greater Manchester has delayed the publication of the spatial framework to build on local green-belt land until after the mayoral election in May. In the meantime, what can my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State do to stop speculative applications on the green belt, such as that in Bredbury Parkway in my constituency?
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
I am very aware of my hon. Friend’s opposition to this plan and that of many of his colleagues—I would say Conservative colleagues, but it is not even exclusively Conservative colleagues. Indeed, I believe the shadow Secretary of State is opposed to Andy Burnham’s plan. It is clearly not proving popular in my hon. Friend’s part of Greater Manchester. We will have to see what happens in the mayoral elections, but I am sure my hon. Friend will campaigning strongly to protect the wishes of local people in his community.
Justin Madders
Lab
Ellesmere Port and Bromborough
The announcement on the new cladding fund is welcome, but it remains to be seen whether it will be sufficient to cover all the issues that have been talked about today. I have a specific question about the detail. Leaseholders are paying an awful lot of money for waking watches at the moment. Will that be reimbursed as part of this fund?
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
The fund will operate like the 18-metre ACM fund, in that it will be available only for the costs of the remediation works themselves, not for any service charge fees that might be incurred in the interim. We want to see this work done as quickly as possible, because I am very conscious of the fact that those waking watches are causing meaningful costs to people. There are cases where people are finding it extremely difficult to meet those costs.
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
I warmly welcome my right hon. Friend’s words on the presumption of brownfield development. Will he give me an assurance that councils such as Aylesbury Vale District Council in my constituency, which are high in the league table for new-build housing, at significant loss to our countryside, will not be pressured, so long as we bring forward all of the brownfield developments in Buckinghamshire?
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
We want to support and reward the many councils across the country that are making often difficult decisions to allocate land, aggressively build out brownfield sites, re-imagine town centres and, above all, meet the local housing need of their communities. We want to encourage those that are failing to meet the housing needs of their communities to take such a lead, because it is not fair that people are not able to live and bring up their family in their own communities. That causes housing pressure to be pushed out to other areas, perhaps such as the one my hon. Friend represents, forcing the building of even more homes and putting even more pressure on local services and the countryside in some parts of the country, particularly in the south-east.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Building can go ahead if action is taken to address potential flooding risks: more retention ponds or reservoirs to keep water on adjoining lands; and the planting of willow trees—the willow absorbs moisture and water, and can be cropped and harvested. That will involve a concerted partnership between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ministers and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to preserve the environment. Will that be done? Will we have a good, sensible, intensive planning strategy now, for the future?
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Absolutely. The Environment Secretary and I will be working closely together as we see what further steps might be needed in the planning framework to ensure that homes are built in the right places. The planning system today seeks to do that, but clearly we have seen examples in recent weeks and months where it has not succeeded, and so some change may be required now, particularly as the flood risk facing some parts of the country appears to be more regular and more acute than we have ever known it.
Martin Vickers
Con
Brigg and Immingham
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement, particularly his comments about wanting more people to live in safer, greener, beautiful areas—I am sure we would all welcome that. Some people are fortunate enough to live in such areas already, and they will be concerned about over-development. Will he assure me that they will be fully consulted? One route is a local plan, which he referred to, but many councils struggle to meet the deadlines. Will he assure me that help will be available to councils to meet those deadlines?
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Yes, there will be. We want to find a better plan-making process. Plans are taking too long and we would like not only the time taken to produce them to be reduced significantly, but for people’s views to be genuinely taken into consideration. We are also, through our new digital agenda, seeing whether there are ways in which that can be done in a much more modern, 21st-century manner, on people’s smartphones, so that their views can be taken into consideration.
Apsana Begum
Lab
Poplar and Limehouse
Does the Secretary of State agree that even more needs to be done to ensure that developers are accountable and that local communities are empowered even more to be centrally involved in the decisions made in their area? Will he be willing to meet me to discuss the Westferry Printworks development application, which he approved on 14 January?
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
I or the Housing Minister would be happy to meet the hon. Lady to discuss that matter. I believe it is subject to a judicial review, so it may not be possible, but I am happy to consult my colleagues in the Department to see whether it is appropriate for me to meet her at the moment.
I am sure the Secretary of State is aware that one reason why the number of completions quite often does not meet the number of consents is that there is a problem in getting utilities to sites. He is absolutely right to point out that much has changed since 1947, including the way we build houses and the developments in modular building. Will his planning review specifically look at those two issues? That would allow us to meet the desire of the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (John Healey) to align completions and consents.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Absolutely. A lot of important work has been done on utilities, not least by the National Infrastructure Commission, and I would like to take that forward. On the broader challenge relating to modern methods of construction, that will absolutely be at the heart of not just the planning work we are going to do but our broader housing strategy. There is a huge opportunity for us as a country to lead the world in new construction technology and to build good-quality homes at pace. I really want us to take that forward.
Joy Morrissey
Con
Beaconsfield
To discourage the needless urban sprawl on our green belt, what steps is the Secretary of State taking to encourage councils to unlock unused brownfield sites first and to work with SME builders, rather than moving toward huge green-belt release and working with large developers?
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
We absolutely we want to have a brownfield-first policy—that is at the heart of everything that we are trying to do in this policy area. It is why we have created the brownfield fund, which is available to those councils that really want to seize this opportunity to unlock those parcels of land. It is also driving our interest in some of the planning freedoms, such as the ability for a small builder or an entrepreneur to use the new permitted development rights that I have announced this week to purchase a disused office building with the knowledge and certainty that he or she can knock that down and turn it into good-quality housing as quickly as possible. We do not want to see the needless ruination of the countryside—we all want to see it preserved for future generations—but we have to balance that with ensuring that homes are available for the next generation in those parts of the country where people really want to live.
I heard what the Secretary of State said about the importance of completing local plans. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is working together with our friends and neighbours in Stoke-on-Trent on a joint local plan. Will the Secretary of State assure me and them that as we get Britain building homes, the Government will also invest in infrastructure such as the schools, roads, public transport and GP services that are needed to support new developments?
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
I am pleased to hear that Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent are working closely together—I am not surprised now that both are represented exclusively by Conservative MPs for the first time. We absolutely want to ensure more investment in infrastructure. As we set out in our manifesto, the infrastructure should flow first. We need well-planned, modern communities, which is why we have invested through the housing infrastructure fund. We will be succeeding that with a new, larger and longer-term single housing infrastructure fund, which will ensure that at least £10 billion is available for local areas to plan for the future and ensure that the roads, GP surgeries, utilities and hospitals are there to meet people’s demands.
What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to ensure that local authorities such as Blackpool include adequate provisions for the environment in their local plans?
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
That is already a requirement and we are going to do work to see whether further action can be taken. The future homes standard, the final details of which we will announce shortly, will mean that from 2025 no new home is built in this country unless it has very high levels of energy efficiency and sustainability—at least a 75% reduction in CO2 emissions. If a council is in the process of making a plan, or will be soon, it will need to plan for all homes to be meeting that standard, or higher, in the years ahead.
I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement. Town centres such as Warrington’s can thrive again if we focus on regeneration before we use the green belt. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to make sure that that is a reality?
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Mr. Jenrick emphasises the Government's commitment to revitalising town centres through the £3.6 billion towns fund, encouraging collaboration between local communities and businesses to attract private sector investment. He cites Loughborough as an example where plans for 1,000 new homes are being developed in the town centre, aiming to boost footfall and revitalize other similar urban areas across the country.
Government Response
The Minister commits to addressing concerns about the Building Research Establishment’s research publication, planning reform to support levelling-up and rebalancing the economy geographically, and ensuring that funding is available for small housing associations and councils in the building safety fund. Responds to concerns raised by MPs about planning system reform, climate change measures, council homes production, social rent policies, and the need for higher-quality new housing developments. Extensive responses from Robert Jenrick addressing various aspects of housing, building safety, and development corporations.
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