Thursday Volume 511 10 June 2010 No. 13 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 10 June 2010 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2010 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ Enquiries to the Office of Public Sector Information, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 443 10 JUNE 2010 444 Friend the Minister, not only for his recent work in House of Commons developing the Government’s ambitious low-carbon economy programme, but for his long-term battle to Thursday 10 June 2010 give communities the power they need to stand up for themselves against inappropriate development. I am grateful to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of The House met at half-past Ten o’clock State for his answer, but will he reassure the House and my constituents that he intends to repeal perverse rules PRAYERS that prevent local councillors from standing up for their constituents— [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Mr Speaker: Order. I am sorry, but I must now cut off the hon. Gentleman. From now on, questions and answers must be briefer. Oral Answers to Questions Mr Pickles: I think I got the gist; I think my hon. Friend was referring to predetermination and I am delighted to inform the House that it is our intention to COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT repeal those regulations. That means we can give local councils the thing that Members of Parliament so desire— that councillors with opinions can actually vote on The Secretary of State was asked— those opinions. Garden Development Mr Speaker: Matthew Offord is not here, so I call Bob Blackman. 1. Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park) (Con): If he will bring forward proposals to increase the powers of local Bob Blackman: In Harrow East, the decision to safeguard authorities to prevent infill and garden development. gardens will be warmly welcomed, but another problem [1535] remains: unscrupulous developers whose planning application is turned down by councillors at local level, The Secretary of State for Communities and Local but who then appeal. What proposals are there to Government (Mr Eric Pickles): Further to the coalition prevent the overturning of local planning decisions on agreement— appeal? Mr Speaker: Order. I think the right hon. Gentleman Mr Pickles: I understand what my hon. Friend is should have requested a grouping with questions 9 saying. We are determined to ensure that planning and 15. remains local, but of course an applicant’s right to appeal against a decision will remain. Mr Pickles: You are absolutely right, Mr Speaker. I was just so happy to be here. I hope that I do not go on Mr Nick Raynsford (Greenwich and Woolwich) (Lab): too long—[HON.MEMBERS: “So do we.”] Well, I was not I welcome the Secretary of State to his new post. What thinking of putting it to a vote. estimate has his Department made of the impact of the potential changes to planning policy implicit in this 9. Mr Matthew Offord (Hendon) (Con): If he will question and the other changes his Government have bring forward proposals to increase the powers of local announced, given that Savills, the respected commentators authorities to prevent infill and garden development. on housing, project that on current trends and patterns [1543] there will be a cumulative shortfall of more than 1 million homes within five years? 15. Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con): If he will bring forward proposals to increase the powers of local Mr Pickles: I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his authorities to prevent infill and garden development. welcome. It is entirely typical of his courtesy that his [1550] was the first letter of congratulation that I received. However, I have to tell him that it seems perverse for the Mr Pickles: Further to the coalition agreement, the Labour party to be concerned about housing numbers. Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for After all, last year the lowest number of houses was Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark), who has responsibilities built since 1946. Under Labour, it would appear that for decentralisation and planning, gave notice to the more damage was done to the housing industry than House that we are changing planning guidance and that the Luftwaffe did. we have taken back gardens out of the definition of brownfield land. In addition, we have removed density Tristram Hunt (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Lab): Does requirements. The matter is now for local people to the Secretary of State recognise that, stretching back to decide. the time of Herbert Morrison, the green belt is a great Labour achievement? Does he also recognise that the Zac Goldsmith: I should like to take this opportunity urban densification policy of the past 13 years has to congratulate my right hon. Friend the Secretary of protected the green belt and regenerated our cities? State on his welcome return to the Communities and Does the policy review announced today put in jeopardy Local Government brief. I pay tribute to my right hon. all that good work? 445 Oral Answers10 JUNE 2010 Oral Answers 446 Mr Pickles: I recall hearing our former colleague Does the Minister not understand that public investment John Prescott say from this Dispatch Box that the green through regional development agencies in towns such belt was a great achievement of the Labour party and as Blackpool has been vital for business and jobs and that it intended to build on it. That indeed seems to should be in the future? Securing Blackpool tower and have been the case. the Winter gardens for Blackpool and its millions of visitors was the right thing to do. What the House, the Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab): I people of Blackpool and its Conservative council want understand fully the concerns about garden grabbing, to hear today is a promise from the Minister that he will but I urge the Secretary of State to adopt a careful not allow his colleagues in the coalition to undo the approach to how he intends to tackle the issue, because crucial deal that has been done. Will he give that assurance? some infill is absolutely necessary in urban areas. Can he assure me that planning policy will be flexible enough Robert Neill: The fact is that the deal is done; the to assist and not to detract from urban renewal in money has been spent. We are not seeking to undo it. constituencies such as mine? Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con): Can the Secretary of Mr Pickles: I very much welcome the hon. Gentleman’s State confirm that the new regulations to stop having to support of the coalition’s policy, and I thank him for build on gardens will also apply to local authority-owned being part of that consensus. He should understand gardens, not just to privately owned gardens— that these matters will now be decided locally, and the Government think that the most sensible people to Mr Speaker: Order. I must very gently tell the hon. decide matters of density and particular applications Gentleman that that was the subject of Question 1, but are the local communities that must bear the consequences we have moved on to Question 2, and we will now move of those developments. on to Question 3. Financial Propriety Requirements Private Rented Housing 2. Lorraine Fullbrook (South Ribble) (Con): What ministerial directions in respect of an action likely to 3. Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central) (Lab): What breach the requirements of financial propriety or regularity plans he has for the future regulation of the private were issued to the accounting officer of his Department rented housing sector. [1537] in the past 12 months. [1536] The Minister for Housing (Grant Shapps): I am grateful The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for to the hon. Lady for her question. It is important that Communities and Local Government (Robert Neill): we strike the right balance between tenants and landlords. Although there were no directions in the past 12 months The current legislative framework, which I have been due to propriety and regularity issues, two directions looking at closely, does exactly that. We therefore have were issued to my Department’s accounting officer due no plans to take forward the previous Government’s to concerns that he had about the value for money of ideas about further regulatory measures on this subject. actions proposed by the then Secretary of State: one related to implementing unitary city councils in Exeter Julie Elliott: I thank the Minister for that answer. In and Norwich; the other covered the purchase of Blackpool light of the massive budget cuts announced in the Leisure Assets. In the interests of transparency, I am Department, can he assure me that there will be no today placing copies of both directions in the Library. threat to the measures that the then Government introduced and, indeed, confirm that the Government have no Lorraine Fullbrook: I thank my hon. Friend for that plans to reverse the further powers that Labour has answer. I am sure that he is aware that the First Division given to councils to introduce local licensing schemes, Association—the civil servants’ union—has reported because in my experience, in my constituency, people that Ministers in the previous Government systematically want more regulation, not less? ignored civil service value-for-money considerations. Can he give us an assurance that this Government will Grant Shapps: In my experience, in my constituency not do the same thing? and across the country, people also want a good supply of private rented sector property.