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Sustainable Buildings

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he expects the Code for Sustainable Buildings to be progressively incorporated into building regulations. [54683]

 
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Yvette Cooper: The Code for Sustainable Homes will continue to be underpinned by building regulations and will form the basis for the next wave of improvements to building regulations.

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to facilitate the greater use of new materials, techniques and designs in new house building. [54710]

Yvette Cooper: Building Regulations are based on functional requirements which specify outcomes, not materials or processes. It is open to designers and builders to use different approaches to achieve compliance and adopt innovative materials, techniques and designs to meet the needs of specific projects.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister also works with the house building and construction industry, and our agencies English Partnerships, Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and the Housing Corporation, to explore and facilitate development and greater take-up of new approaches where they have proved practicable. Examples include involvement in recent work by the Home Builders Federation to produce a report An examination of the barriers to greater use of modern methods of construction in the house building industry and the mechanisms to, overcome them", published earlier this month.

With the Housing Corporation we have also worked with the National Audit Office to develop the evidence base on costs and benefits of different approaches to modern construction, and provide guidance to the industry on the best approach to their use. This report was published in November last year.

The ODPM also encourages new approaches through demonstrations and competitions, such Design for Manufacture" which is challenging the industry to produce cost-effective homes without sacrificing quality. Later this year we will be publishing a document on the lessons learnt from the competition.

Telecommunications (Cambridgeshire)

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) telecommunication base stations and (b) mobile phone masts have been located in (i) the parliamentary constituency of Peterborough and (ii) the county of Cambridgeshire in each year since 1997. [54892]

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

However, during September and October every year the mobile network operators write to every local authority with details of their network rollout for the year ahead. When they write to the local authority they also provide details of their existing sites within the local authority area. You may want to contact the network operators for copies of their plans.

Thames Gateway

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what data the Government collects on the proportion of types of new homes being built in the Thames Gateway. [50201]

 
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Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) collects information on new build houses by tenure based upon building control data provided by local authorities and the National House-Building Council (NHBC). Local authority level information is published on the ODPM website.

The NHBC data provide type and size of houses but these cover only a proportion of all dwellings built and estimates are published at regional level only.

Town and Country Planning Act

Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will make a statement on the operation of the Town and Country Planning (Major Infrastructure Project Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2002; [54302]

(2) what recent representations he has received regarding enforcement of Circular 2002 Planning Inquiries for Major Infrastructure Projects procedures; and if he will make a statement. [54303]

Yvette Cooper: On 24 August 2004, the 2002 rules were superseded by Statutory Instrument 2005 No.2115 Town and Country Planning (Major Infrastructure Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules. Supporting guidance was issued in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Circular 07/2005.

Changes have been made to speed up the processes. The new procedure rules allow front loading of the procedures at pre-inquiry stage to enable major participants and the lead inspector to narrow down the issues which will need examination once the inquiry starts. There are improvements to inquiry procedures to allow stricter timetabling, round table sessions, reduced reading of proofs, better management by the inspectors of cross examination and for a team of inspectors to hear concurrent sessions instead of everything being dealt with sequentially in front of one inspector.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the operation of (a) section 100 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, (b) Article 20(5) of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 and (c) the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985. [54305]

Yvette Cooper: The Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has power, under s100 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, to revoke or modify a planning permission granted by a local planning authority. Revocation or modification can only be made before a planning permission is implemented. However, the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will generally use this power only if the original decision is judged to be grossly wrong, so that damage is likely to be done to the wider public interest.

Article 20(5) of the Procedure Order gives people time to comment on planning applications received by the local planning authority. In most cases they have 21 days from the date when the authority publicises the application in order to make representations.

The Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 provided the public and elected members with new rights of access to information about the policies and
 
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practices of local authorities and some other public bodies, in order to reinforce their accountability. It also opened up authorities' meetings to the public and the press.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the study commissioned by his Department, A Review of the Publicity Requirements for Planning Applications. [54306]

Yvette Cooper: Current publicity requirements for planning applications are explained in Circular 15/92, which is on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website at: www.odpm.gov.uk. There are no immediate plans to adopt the recommendations made by consultants Arup in the report to which the hon. Member refers.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the operation of the Town and Country Planning (Determination of Appeals by Appointed Persons) (Prescribed Classes) Regulations 1997. [54308]

Yvette Cooper: These regulations:

prescribe the classes of appeal which are to be determined by persons appointed by the Secretary of State (in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 6 to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and Schedule 3 to the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990) instead of being determined by the Secretary of State;

prescribe certain classes of case within those prescribed classes of appeal which are to continue to be determined by the Secretary of State;

and provide for publication by local planning authorities of any direction made by the Secretary of State specifying classes of case within the prescribed classes of appeal which are to be determined by the Secretary of State.

The Government will shortly consult on whether planning and enforcement appeals in relation to Grade I and Grade II* listed buildings continue to be determined by the Secretary of State in all cases, or by persons appointed by the Secretary of State in some cases.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the operation of Schedule 6 paragraph 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. [54309]

Yvette Cooper: Schedule 6 paragraph 3 sets out the provisions which allow the Secretary of State to recover appeals which would otherwise be dealt with by an inspector. The recovery criteria are set out in the Official Report, 25 July 2000 (column 594W). However, most planning appeals are transferred to the Planning Inspectorate for inspectors to decide on behalf of the Secretary of State.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the operation of the Town and Country Planning (Inquiries Procedure) (England) Rules 2000. [54310]

Yvette Cooper: These rules regulate the procedure to be followed in connection with local inquiries in England held by the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister before he determines applications referred to him, or appeals made to him, in
 
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relation to planning permission, listed building consent and consent for the demolition of unlisted buildings in conservation areas.

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