Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Planning System Modernisation

Monday 19 July 2021 · 7 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Dean Russell inquired about mechanisms to challenge housing targets for his constituency, and the Minister responded that housing targets are only a starting point, emphasizing the quasi-judicial role that prevents commenting on specific local plans.
  • Rob Butler raised concerns about local voices being heard regarding housing development in Buckinghamshire, and the Minister assured that the Government aims to ensure infrastructure accompanies housing delivery.
  • Chris Clarkson questioned the release of green belt land in Greater Manchester for development, and the Minister confirmed the Government's commitment to protecting and enhancing the green belt, adhering to strict criteria for building on it.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Dean Russell
Housing
Context

The MP inquired about mechanisms to challenge the local authority's housing needs target.

Question

I thank my right hon. Friend and Ministers for their engagement and correspondence over the last year. As he will know, I have asked what mechanisms exist to challenge the housing targets for my constituency. As such, will he confirm my new understanding that the local authority housing needs target is not set in stone and is a starting point for negotiation, and that it is the local authority's responsibility to challenge the housing target as part of its local plan?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

My hon. Friend and I have spoken about that on a number of occasions—as have I with you, Mr Speaker. He will appreciate that I am unable to comment on the specific local plans because of my quasi-judicial role. However, he is right to say that housing targets are only a starting point. All local plans are subject to an independent examination. Following consultation with the local community, anyone who wants to make representations to change a plan must be heard by the inspector.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Could not comment on specific local plans due to quasi-judicial role.

How: Referenced Quasi-Judicial Limitations

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Q2 Rob Butler
Housing
Context

The MP expressed concern about the voices of local people not being heard regarding significant housing delivery in Aylesbury.

Question

My right hon. Friend is right that planning reform is overdue, but in Buckinghamshire there are serious concerns that the voices of local people will not be heard. For example, we know that in Aylesbury many thousands more houses will be built in the coming years, but the town is already merging into nearby villages and infrastructure is at breaking point. What reassurance can he provide that when residents raise legitimate concerns, they will be listened to?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

My hon. Friend makes an important point, and he is right to say that significant housing delivery is occurring at the moment in Aylesbury. There are two principal things that the Government seek to do to support his constituents. The first is to ensure that more infrastructure accompanies that housing; we will do that principally through our infrastructure levy, which will capture more of the land value uplift and put more money at the service of his excellent local council in Buckinghamshire.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not directly address concerns about local voices being heard.

How: Focused On Infrastructure Levy

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Q3 Chris Clarkson
Environment
Context

The MP raised concern about the green belt approved for release by the Greater Manchester Mayor as part of his spatial framework.

Question

There is a great deal of concern in my Heywood and Middleton constituency and across Greater Manchester about the amount of green belt approved for release by the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, as part of his Greater Manchester spatial framework. What assurances can my right hon. Friend give me about protection of the green belt as part of his Department's new planning reforms?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

This Government made a manifesto commitment not just to protect the green belt, but to enhance it. At the moment, planning policy is clear that building on the green belt should be contemplated only in the most exceptional circumstances, and we intend to continue that through our modernised planning system.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify assurances regarding Greater Manchester spatial framework.

How: Referred To Manifesto Commitment

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Q4 Laura Trott Con Sevenoaks
Housing Environment
Context

The MP asked for increased protection of the green belt in Sevenoaks and Swanley.

Question

I listened carefully to my right hon. Friend's earlier answer, but does he agree that in any future planning reforms we must increase protection for our green belt? In Sevenoaks and Swanley, we are 93% green belt, yet we are constantly inundated by speculative planning applications such as that at Broke Hill, which worry the local community. The message should be clear: if it is green belt, it is protected, and if a planning application is put in for the green belt, the answer will be no.

Answer from Robert Jenrick

The point that my hon. Friend touches on is that the current planning system is not well regarded and is not producing the kinds of outcomes that we want; that is precisely why we want to reform and modernise it. We want to ensure that protections such as the green belt have the weight that they deserve in the planning system and that we can cut out speculative development unless it is approved by democratically elected local councillors at their sole discretion.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify how protection would be increased.

How: Referenced Reforming The Current System

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Q5 Steve Reed Labour (Co-op) Streatham and Croydon North
Standards & Ethics
Context

The MP questioned the Conservative party's overdependence on developer donations and asked for full minutes of meetings with developers.

Question

The anti-corruption campaign Transparency International says that the Conservative party has become overly dependent on donations from developers. It is particularly concerned that Ministers failed to report the details of what they talked about to developers in over 300 meetings about which they simply disclosed generalisations such as “housing” or “planning”; it fears that that could amount to what it calls aggregate corruption. Will the Secretary of State now publish the full minutes of all those meetings so that the public can see exactly what Ministers agreed to do for their developer paymasters?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

As the hon. Gentleman knows, all meetings that Ministers have are correctly identified on the register of interests, but I have to say that he has been on quite a journey. One adviser who worked with him as leader of Lambeth Council has been left bemused: is this the same Champagne Steve he remembers meeting with developers? It is not just him who has invited charges of shameless hypocrisy; the Leader of the Opposition has received thousands of pounds of donations from developers, and the deputy leader of the Labour party caused a splash in the papers the other day for accepting £10,000 from developers for her leadership campaign.

Not addressed: Did not publish meeting minutes or address transparency concerns.

How: Changed Subject To Criticise Opposition

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Q6 Steve Reed Labour (Co-op) Streatham and Croydon North
Housing Local Government
Context

The House passed Labour's motion to guarantee residents' right to a say over local planning applications in their neighbourhoods. This is supported by councillors of all parties across Medway and Richmond.

Question

How many more councils will need to do the same before he ditches the developers' charter and his plan to pay back developers by selling out communities?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

I am sure that Conservative councillors across the country were pleased to receive the hon. Gentleman's letter regarding bills increasing due to mistakes and mismanagement by his friends and cronies in Croydon. This Government will continue building houses sensitively, protecting the environment, and helping young people and those on lower incomes own homes.

Not addressed: The MP's specific request about ditching the developers' charter was not addressed

How: Changing Subject To Criticism Of Croydon Council

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Q7 Clive Betts Lab Sheffield South East
Housing Local Government
Context

The Select Committee's report on planning reforms was released. Labour supported aspects of the reforms, such as strengthening local plans.

Question

Could I ask him two things in relation to our recommendations? First, we need to recognise the serious change in moving to a zonal system and the importance of getting the details right, and secondly, will he have another look at the distribution of housing under his latest proposals?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his committee's report, which we have carefully considered. I will bear in mind his suggestion about pre-legislative scrutiny and respectfully disagree on the second point because levelling up involves big cities of the midlands and north building more homes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific distribution of housing under the latest proposals was not directly addressed

How: Changing Subject To Benefits Of Building In Northern Cities

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