House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 8 Dec 2005 (pt 20)

8 Dec 2005 : Column 1505W—continued

High Hedges

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many applications have been made to local authorities to reduce the height of hedges since the introduction of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003. [34126]

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Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment his Department has made of the impact of local authority fees on the willingness of applicants to use the process provided by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 to deal with excessively high hedges. [34127]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made no formal assessment of the impact of local authority fees on the willingness of applicants to use the process provided by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 to deal with excessively high hedges. This part of the 2003 Act came into operation in June 2005 and so it is too soon to draw conclusions about the impact of local authority fees. We are also aware that authorities are keeping their fees for this service under review.

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he has issued to local councils on actionthey should take in response to an application under high hedges regulations to cut a hedge by morethan a third to ensure reasonable enjoyment of a property. [34913]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has issued no guidelines on not cutting hedges by more than a third. Paragraph 6.24 of our publication 'High Hedges Complaints: Prevention and Cure' advises that Councils cannot order remedial works that would kill a hedge. In our view this would amount to the same as removing the hedge altogether and, under section 69(3) of the 2003 Act, Councils are expressly prevented from ordering action involving removal of a hedge.

How far one can reduce a hedge before it is killed will vary according to the particular circumstances and, to illustrate the point, we give the example of a healthy Leyland cypress hedge which will usually respond well to a reduction by up to one-third whereas an older specimen may not. There will be circumstances where Leyland cypress, or other species, may be reduced by more than one-third without destroying them.

Where local councils have concluded that remedial action is required to ensure reasonable enjoyment of a property, it is for them to decide what height the hedge should be reduced to while ensuring its survival. That judgment depends on the species of the shrubs or trees in the hedge, their age and health, and past management. We recommend councils, therefore, to consider each case on its merits and to obtain arboricultural advice.

Copies of 'High Hedges Complaints: Prevention and Cure' are available in the Library of the House. Further information is published on the Frequently Asked Questions pages of our website at www.odpm.gov.uk/treesandhedges, under the heading 'Remedial works'. This acknowledges that there may be some cases where councils could be prevented from requiring action that would provide a full remedy to the problems identified because it would kill the hedge. Nevertheless, they would still be able to order works that offer some relief to the complainant. In addition, if a complainant

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considers that the action specified in a remedial notice does not go far enough, they can appeal against the council's decision to the Planning Inspectorate.

Homelessness

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many individuals were homeless in each district authority in Northamptonshire in each year since 1997. [34432]

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected in respect of households, rather than persons.

The number of households accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need in each year since 1997–98, and the number of households in temporary accommodation arranged by

8 Dec 2005 : Column 1508W

local authorities under homelessness legislation on 31 March each year as reported by each local authority in Northamptonshire is as tabled.

The duty owed to a person accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available. As an alternative to the provision of temporary accommodation some authorities arrange for households to remain in their current accommodation (homeless at home), until a settled solution becomes available.

Information is also collected, since 1998, on the number of people who sleep rough—that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night—and these are also presented in the tables.
Households accepted⁽⁹⁾ as homeless during the year, households in temporary accommodation⁽¹⁰⁾ at the end of the year, and numbers of rough sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ each year, for districts in Northamptonshire

Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾
during 1997–98 Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 1998 Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾
during 1998–99 Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 1999 Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 1998 Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾
during 1999–2000

Corby 28 7 30 12 0 52

Daventry 78 28 74 25 0 127

East Northampton 29 20 34 23 0 47

Kettering 53 11 100 9 0 112

Northampton 423 32 378 61 13 369
South Northamptonshire
170 34 128 19 0 94

Wellingborough 25 6 30 11 0 11

Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾
at end March 2000 Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 1999 Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾
during 2000–01 Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾
at end March 2001 Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 2000

Corby 13 0 42 17 0

Daventry 29 0 94 56 0

East Northampton 25 0 50 36 0

Kettering 9 0 133 12 0

Northampton 65 12 430 62 6
South Northamptonshire
15 0 69 16 0

Wellingborough 14 0 10 24 0

Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾
during 2001–02 Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 2002 Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 2001 Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾
during 2002–03 Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 2003 Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 2002

Corby 60 12 0 58 22 0

Daventry 76 40 0 104 54 0

East Northampton 42 28 0 43 22 0

Kettering 112 16 0 103 10 0

Northampton 286 81 6 414 110 6
South Northamptonshire
69 21 0 62 28 0

Wellingborough 34 32 0 81 5 0

Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾
during 2003–04 Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 2004 Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 2003 Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾
during 2004–05 Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 2005 Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 2004

Corby 60 21 0 50 29 0

Daventry 121 56 0 72 50 0

East Northampton 81 36 0 83 50 0

Kettering 141 18 0 103 16 0

Northampton 420 138 7 455 179 8
South Northamptonshire
46 27 0 56 30 0

Wellingborough 90 16 0 n/a 44 0

n/a denotes the authority failed to provide a return for 1 or more quarters of the year.
⁽⁹⁾All households eligible under homelessness legislation, found to be unintentionally homeless and in a priority need category, and consequently owed a main homelessness duty.
⁽¹⁰⁾Households in accommodation either pending a decision on their homelessness application or awaiting allocation of a settled home following acceptance. Excludes those households designated as homeless at home" that have remained in their existing accommodation and have the same rights to suitable alternative accommodation as those in accommodation arranged by the authority.
⁽¹¹⁾Number of persons sleeping rough, based on local authority mid-year counts or estimates. Counts began in 1998.
Source:
ODPM—P1E Homelessness returns (quarterly) and HSSA returns (annual)

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	Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾ during 1997–98	Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 1998	Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾ during 1998–99	Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 1999	Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 1998	Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾ during 1999–2000
Corby	28	7	30	12	0	52
Daventry	78	28	74	25	0	127
East Northampton	29	20	34	23	0	47
Kettering	53	11	100	9	0	112
Northampton	423	32	378	61	13	369
South Northamptonshire 170	34	128	19	0	94
Wellingborough	25	6	30	11	0	11

	Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 2000	Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 1999	Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾ during 2000–01	Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 2001	Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 2000
Corby	13	0	42	17	0
Daventry	29	0	94	56	0
East Northampton	25	0	50	36	0
Kettering	9	0	133	12	0
Northampton	65	12	430	62	6
South Northamptonshire 15	0	69	16	0
Wellingborough	14	0	10	24	0

	Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾ during 2001–02	Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 2002	Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 2001	Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾ during 2002–03	Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 2003	Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 2002
Corby	60	12	0	58	22	0
Daventry	76	40	0	104	54	0
East Northampton	42	28	0	43	22	0
Kettering	112	16	0	103	10	0
Northampton	286	81	6	414	110	6
South Northamptonshire 69	21	0	62	28	0
Wellingborough	34	32	0	81	5	0

	Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾ during 2003–04	Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 2004	Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 2003	Households Accepted⁽⁹⁾ during 2004–05	Households in TA⁽¹⁰⁾ at end March 2005	Rough Sleepers⁽¹¹⁾ (persons) 2004
Corby	60	21	0	50	29	0
Daventry	121	56	0	72	50	0
East Northampton	81	36	0	83	50	0
Kettering	141	18	0	103	16	0
Northampton	420	138	7	455	179	8
South Northamptonshire 46	27	0	56	30	0
Wellingborough	90	16	0	n/a	44	0

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1)how many households applying under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 in each authority in Norfolk and Suffolk have been found to be (a) homeless and in priority need, (b) homeless but not in priority need, (c) intentionally homeless and (d) not homeless in each year since 1997; [32538]

(2) how many homeless households have been placed in temporary accommodation in each authority in Norfolk and Suffolk in each year since 1979. [32539]

Yvette Cooper: A table presenting summary information reported by each local authority in Norfolk and Suffolk on their decisions under homelessness legislation during each financial year since 1997/98 has been made available in the Library of the House. Also included are the numbers in temporary accommodation arranged by local authorities, as at 31 March of each year.

Equivalent information collected prior to January 1997 is not available in electronic format and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

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