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18 Oct 2004 : Column 459W—continued
Planning
Mr. Truswell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning appeals have been (a) submitted, (b) upheld and (c) rejected in the last five years for which figures are available. [190504]
Keith Hill: The information requested is tabled as follows:
| No submitted (received) | No upheld (allowed) | No rejected (dismissed) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 15,336 | 4,515 | 8,401 |
| 2001–02 | 16,776 | 4,893 | 8,646 |
| 2002–03 | 18,554 | 5,471 | 9,550 |
| 2003–04 | 22,548 | 5,991 | 10,422 |
| 2004–05(3) | 12,214 | 2,526 | 4,925 |
(3) To 30 September 2004
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Mr. Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what investigation he has made into the practice whereby a purchaser of land is able to package that land into plots for re-sale on the basis of a development opportunity when there is little or no chance of planning permission being granted; [190893]
(2) if he will estimate how many cases there have been in the last five years of land being purchased and being packaged up into plots and then being sold on, on the basis of a development opportunity when planning permission has little or no chance of being granted. [190894]
Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is very aware, particularly from correspondence and contacts with local planning authorities, of the problems and concerns arising from the practice of subdividing rural land into plots for sale. The Government's position was made clear in the Statement I made to the House on 19 April 2004, Official Report, columns 2–4WS and in the Adjournment Debate given by my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham on 12 October 2004, Official Report, columns 56–63WH. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no statistical information on plot-sales.
Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to undertake a public consultation exercise on the Companion Guide accompanying Planning Policy Statement 22. [192253]
Keith Hill: None. The draft companion guide to PPS22 has been produced by external consultants working for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The research undertaken to produce the guide involved extensive discussions with local planning authorities and other stakeholders. However, it is not departmental practice to engage in wider consultation on good practice guides that are produced to support the policies set out in Planning Policy Statements.
Regional Government
Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his plans to consult electors in the South East Region on the draft Regional Assemblies Bill. [192298]
Mr. Raynsford: The draft regional assemblies Bill was published to help inform those voting in a referendum on whether or not to have an elected regional assembly and not for consultation. A referendum is scheduled to take place in the North East of England of 4 November. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would, of course, value any comments on the draft Bill that electors across the country wish to make.
Runwell Hospital
Mr. Francois: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what stage has been reached in his Department's acquisition of the Runwell Hospital site from the Department of Health; which officials in (a) his Department and (b) English Heritage will now be responsible for administering the future of the site; and if he will make a statement. [191941]
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Keith Hill: The Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health announced at a press conference on 7 April the in principle agreement to transfer a portfolio of about 100 surplus NHS sites to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. It is intended that the portfolio will be used to tackle housing shortages, including key worker housing, and promote the regeneration of priority areas as part of the £22 billion Sustainable Communities Plan.
The detailed arrangements to facilitate the transfer of sites are being developed by officials in Department of Health and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The portfolio, including Runwell Hospital in Essex, remains in the ownership of the Department of Health. Proposals for each site will be worked up in consultation with the relevant local planning authority following transfer. A further announcement will be made at that stage.
Social Housing (York)
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many social rented homes there were in York in each year since the unitary council was established. [191236]
Keith Hill: The requested information is tabled as follows showing local authority and housing association tenures separately.
| Year ending 1 April | Council homes sold under RTB | Council stock | Year on year reduction in stock | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 115 | (103h, 12f) | 9,602 | — |
| 1997 | 116 | (106h, 10f) | 9,508 | -94 |
| 1998 | 152 | (134h, 18f) | 9,341 | -167 |
| 1999 | 138 | (131h, 7f) | 9,212 | -129 |
| 2000 | 265 | (245h, 20f) | 8,962 | -250 |
| 2001 | 186 | (173h, 13f) | 8,775 | -187 |
| 2002 | 171 | (147h, 24f) | 8,604 | -171 |
| 2003 | 188 | (152h, 36f) | 8,406 | -198 |
| 2004 | 127 | (98h, 29f) | 8,224 | -182 |
| General needs | Shared ownership/leasehold schemes for elderly | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1,180 | 29 | — |
| 1997 | 3,064 | 386 | — |
| 1998 | 3,181 | 461 | 82 |
| 1999 | 3,161 | 477 | 47 |
| 2000 | 3,299 | 474 | 51 |
| 2001 | 3,389 | 483 | 55 |
| 2002 | 3,401 | 430 | 18 |
| 2003 | 3,423 | 475 | 8 |
| 2004 | 3,654 | 483 | 26 |
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Hugh Bayley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the Government and local authority invested in social housing in York in each year since it became a unitary council. [191237]
Keith Hill: The amounts spent by York on housing investment, including spending on private sector renewal, since April 1996 are tabled. The table also gives the funding provided by central government to support this and for the provision of affordable housing through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme.
| Housing Capita Spend | Central Government Support(4) | Approved Development Programme | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 6.166 | 3.377 | 1.873 |
| 1997–98 | 5.759 | 2.773 | 1.379 |
| 1998–99 | 6.816 | 3.441 | 1.750 |
| 1999–2000 | 6.702 | 3.595 | 1.602 |
| 2000–01 | 6.496 | 5.330 | 2.923 |
| 2001–02 | 8.013 | 6.796 | 2.248 |
| 2002–03 | 7.904 | 6.581 | 1.521 |
| 2003–04 | 8.491 | 6.251 | 3.323 |
| 2004–05(5) | 12.170 | 6.389 | 2.676 |
(4) These figures include the Housing Investment Programme, Private Sector Renewal, Disabled Facilities Grant, Capital Receipts Initiative, Cash Incentive Scheme and Major Repairs Allowance. They also include, up to 2003/04, an element assumed to be funded from the authority's capital receipts.
(5) Provisional figures
Thames Gateway Housing
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many additional sewerage treatment plants will be required under the Government's growth plan for additional houses to be built between 2003 and 2016 in the Thames Gateway. [190738]
Keith Hill: It has always been an important part of the planning system to co-ordinate new development with the infrastructure it demands. The plan-led system ensures that links between infrastructure and developments are properly investigated. Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS12) requires that local planning authorities develop a strategic approach to infrastructure provision when preparing local development documents, in terms of transport, water, sewerage, waste and general community facilities. Regional planning bodies and local planning authorities are working closely with infrastructure providers, such as Thames Water and Southern Water, to identify the need for additional sewerage capacity to support new development in the Thames Gateway.
Planning for predicted increases in sewage collection and treatment requirements (for example, as a result of new development) also forms part of the water and sewerage companies' resource planning process. Every five years each regional water company produces a
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25-year business plan to take account of predicted significant increases in collection and treatment requirements. The Environment Agency reviews these plans to check for consistency with regional and national strategies. The plans identify changes in demand and identify a prioritised list of appropriate projects for investment (which can include sewerage treatment plants) looking forward over the medium and longer term.
The draft determinations by the Office of Water Services for investment by Southern Water for 2005–10 do provide for increased capacity of existing sewers and sewage treatment plants in the Thames Gateway area. At present, no additional sewerage treatment plants are planned.
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will estimate the number of additional allotments in the area needed as a consequence of the Government's current growth plan for an additional 120,000 houses to be built between 2003 and 2016 in the Thames Gateway. [191507]
Keith Hill: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. It has always been an important part of the planning system to co-ordinate new development with the infrastructure and community facilities it demands. In the Thames Gateway as elsewhere, the plan-led system ensures that links between infrastructure and developments are properly investigated. Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS12) requires that local planning authorities develop a strategic approach to infrastructure provision when preparing local development documents, in terms of transport, water, sewerage, waste and general community facilities.
The Government's commitment to the provision of green space, including allotments, is laid out in Planning Policy Statement 1 which states that well designed public and green spaces are required as part of building sustainable communities. The Government states in Planning Policy Guidance 17 that open space standards are best set at a local level, as national standards cannot cater for local circumstances. Local authorities are expected to carry out assessments of the needs of their communities that will be used to set robust standards for the provision of all types of open spaces. This applies equally to the Thames Gateway as elsewhere in the country. Planning Policy Guidance 3 (PPG3) emphasises the value open spaces such as allotments can add to a community and classes allotments as open spaces so that they can be protected from the priority given to development on brownfield land.
The Government is encouraging the enhancement and the creation of a range of new greenspace within the Thames Gateway. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs jointly published Creating Sustainable Communities: Greening the Gateway in January 2004, setting out the importance of green infrastructures in the Thames Gateway. The document recognises the importance that allotments can play in helping to contribute to a diverse greenspace network across the Thames Gateway as well as offering a way for local people to take gentle exercise and have more direct contact with a supply of healthy food.
18 Oct 2004 : Column 464W
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many additional (a) acute hospital beds and (b) medical staff, including general practitioners, will be required under the Government's current growth plan for an additional 120,000 houses to be built between 2003 and 2016 in the Thames Gateway. [191516]
Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working with the Department of Health and the four Strategic Health Authorities in the Thames Gateway to ensure that they are aware of the impact that the increased population created by the Government's growth area policy will have on the provision of health and social care facilities, including staff and hospital beds, in the future.
The Department of Health is fully engaged and committed to the programme, and in March 2004 they announced in a written statement to Parliament, a new funding package for the four growth areas, including the Thames Gateway. The package entails:
An additional £20 million of revenue funding per annum for 2004–05 and 2005–06 for those Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) that are already experiencing considerable population growth as a direct consequence of development in the four growth areas;
An additional £20 million of capital resources for allocation in 2005–06 to the growth areas;
From 2006–07, a commitment to include a growth area adjustment in future PCT allocations. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department of Health are working together to predict future populations in the growth areas, including the Thames Gateway, to inform this adjustment.
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many additional (a) nurseries and (b) playschools will be required under the Government's current growth plan for an additional 120,000 houses to be built between 2003 and 2016 in the Thames Gateway. [191517]
Keith Hill: The Sure Start programme funds child care provision, including nurseries and playschools. It takes into account local authority estimates of required places based on population statistics. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Education and Skills will work together to assist local authorities in planning future needs, for example, by providing forecasts of population changes in the Thames Gateway. Given that child care facilities can vary in their size, it is not possible to estimate exactly how many will be required to meet any additional places.
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many additional libraries will be required under the Government's current growth plan for an additional 120,000 houses to be built between 2003 and 2016 in the Thames Gateway. [191519]
Keith Hill:
The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. It has always been an important part of the planning system to co-ordinate new development with the infrastructure it demands. In the Thames Gateway as elsewhere, the plan-led system ensures that links between infrastructure and developments are properly investigated. Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS12) requires that local
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planning authorities develop a strategic approach to infrastructure provision when preparing local development documents, in terms of transport, water, sewerage, waste and general community facilities.
In addition, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working closely with other Government departments to ensure that the raft of community services and infrastructure required to support housing growth will be delivered across the Thames Gateway. This work is led by MISC 22, the Cabinet Committee that oversees the development of the growth areas in the South-East.
Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many additional leisure centres will be required under the Government's current growth plan for an additional 120,000 houses to be built between 2003 and 2016 in the Thames Gateway. [191520]
Keith Hill: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. It has always been an important part of the planning system to co-ordinate new development with the infrastructure it demands. In the Thames Gateway as elsewhere, the plan-led system ensures that links between infrastructure and developments are properly investigated. Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS12) requires that local planning authorities develop a strategic approach to infrastructure provision when preparing local development documents, in terms of transport, water, sewerage, waste and general community facilities.
In addition, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working closely with other Government departments to ensure that the raft of community services and infrastructure required to support housing growth will be delivered across the Thames Gateway. This work is led by MISC 22, the Cabinet Committee that oversees the development of the growth areas in the South-East.
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