Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Housebuilding: Urban Densification

Monday 27 June 2022 · 3 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 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial Department aims to increase housebuilding through urban densification using local authority-approved building codes.
  • Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill includes "street vote" powers allowing residents to initiate desired developments.
  • Minister acknowledges that density can be achieved without high-rise buildings, emphasizing local communities' decision-making role.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Penrose Con
Housing
Context

The question pertains to increasing urban housing through pre-approved building codes that support higher density developments.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to increase housebuilding through densification of urban areas using local authority-approved building codes that pre-approve buildings?

Answer from Stuart Andrew

We want to build good-quality homes in the right places, and to give communities a greater say in the planning process. The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill includes provision for new “street vote” powers which will allow residents to come together and bring forward the development that they want to see on their streets, in line with their design preferences.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Steps being taken to pre-approve building codes for denser developments were not addressed.

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Q2 John Penrose Con
Housing
Context

The question follows up on the previous discussion about increasing urban housing through pre-approved building codes.

Question

I thank the Minister for that reply, and agree with him that the “street votes” idea—which the Secretary of State described as “a cracking idea” a few months ago from that very Dispatch Box—is extremely welcome and at the core of the Bill. Will he consider applying the same principles of local consent and design codes on a slightly larger scale to increase supply and create wealth across whole neighbourhoods rather than just single streets, as outlined in chapter 4 of my recent paper “Poverty Trapped”?

Answer from Stuart Andrew

My hon. Friend never misses an opportunity to promote his paper, and I commend him for it. Of course we want to ensure that every community has an opportunity to build the houses that it needs within the local plan that it is developing. I welcome many of the points that my hon. Friend raised in his paper, and look forward to working with him in future to see how we can develop them further.

Not addressed: No specifics on applying street vote principles on a larger scale were provided.

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Q3 John Cryer Lab
Housing
Context

The question addresses concerns about high-density developments, particularly in light of recent tragedies involving high-rise buildings.

Question

Does the Minister agree that high density does not equate to high rise? In the light of tragedies such as Grenfell Tower, Ronan Point and others, will he look less than kindly on applications for high-rise developments?

Answer from Stuart Andrew

The hon. Gentleman will understand that I am not able, in a quasi-judicial role, to comment on individual planning applications. It is for local authorities to make those decisions. Density can come in a range of different ways, and it is for local communities to decide what housing they want built in their area.

Not addressed: The specific question about approving new high-rise developments was not addressed.

How: Changing The Subject To Decisions Made By Local Authorities

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