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14 May 2008 : Column 1634W—continued
Housing: Demolition
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many dwellings were demolished in each Housing Market Renewal pathfinder area in each year since its inception; and how much was allocated from the public purse towards such demolitions in each year. [204509]
Mr. Iain Wright: Data on the number of demolitions in each Housing Market Renewal (HMR) pathfinder, and total spend, is set out in the following table. The HMR programme adopts a range of measures, with refurbishments continuing to account for a significantly larger share of activity. Since the start of the programme, a total of just over 12,000 properties have been demolished with over 40,000 properties refurbished and 1,078 new properties constructed.
| HMR demolitions | ||||||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | Total | HMR spent on demolition | Total HMR funding 2002- 0 8 (£ million) | |
Housing: Valuation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Dwellinghouse Coding Guide has been updated since 27 January 2005 in whole or part by the Valuation Office Agency. [204577]
John Healey: The guide was produced to help with training and as a reference for VOA staff. It is updated as appropriate, has been since 27 January 2005, and is available on the VOA website:
Interreg Programme
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what matched funding the Government has provided to programmes under the INTERREG III programme; [204508]
(2) what central funding is being provided to support the INTERREG IV programme. [204512]
John Healey: Under INTERREG III the UK provided match funding to the programmes’ technical assistance budgets. €3,727,142 was paid to the North West Europe Programme; €1,149,584 to the IIIC West Programme; €1,594,950 to the North Sea Programme and €870,085 to the Atlantic Area Programme.
The ODPM also provided £5.9 million of match funding to UK partners for pre-application INTERREG IIIB project and partnership activities. From 2003 to 2006, more than 48 UK-organisations benefited from an ODPM award, representing 43 projects across the three INTERREG IIIB Programmes. The majority of organisations receiving OPDM awards were in a project-lead position.
The Government will not be providing match funding for individual projects in the new programmes. But we will be contributing towards programme technical assistance budgets. The amounts for the 2007 to 2013 programme period are:
| Project | Funding (€) |
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the INTERACT Handbook on the European Grouping of Territorial Co-operation. [204579]
John Healey: I have deposited a copy of the INTERACT Handbook on the European Grouping of Territorial Co-operation in the Library of the House.
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2008, Official Report, columns 1206-7W, on INTERACT programme, which INTERACT
working groups representatives from her Department have attended in the last 12 months. [204580]
John Healey: Since May 2007 representatives from CLG have attended two INTERACT programme meetings. Two CLG officials attended a Monitoring Committee meeting on 19 to 20 October in Vienna. One CLG official attended a Monitoring Committee meeting on 4 March 2008, also in Vienna.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to help billing authorities improve the collection rates of (a) council tax and (b) business rates; and if she will ask the Audit Commission to initiate an investigation following the recent Office of Fair Trading report. [204505]
John Healey: The collection of council tax and business rates is a matter for local authorities. In 2006-07 billing authorities across England collected 96.9 per cent. of all council tax and 98.7 per cent. of national non-domestic rates. It is not clear which OFT report the hon. Member is referring.
National Interest Mapping Services Agreement
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to replace the National Interest Mapping Services Agreement. [202646]
Mr. Iain Wright: There are no plans to replace the National Interest Mapping Services Agreement.
Planning
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which national policy statements will be designated within the next two years; and when she expects to publish drafts of each statement for consultation. [204699]
John Healey: The Secretary of State explained in her written statement of 27 November 2007, Official Report, columns 11-17WS, that the Government’s aim is to establish a suite of national policy statements that will comprise:
an overarching energy NFS covering key elements of energy policy related to infrastructure provision;
statements encompassing different forms of energy generation such as fossil fuels, renewable energy, electricity networks and gas infrastructure;
a statement for aviation;
a statement for ports;
a statement for the strategic highway and rail networks;
a statement on water supply and waste water treatment;
a statement on waste.
In addition, the White Paper on Nuclear Power published in January explained that we also envisage a National Policy Statement on nuclear power.
We are still considering the precise timescale for consulting on and designating individual national policy statements. We will announce more details on this in due course.
Planning Permission: Economic Situation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of the unrest in the financial markets and housing market on the number of planning applications made. [204518]
Mr. Iain Wright: No specific assessment on planning applications has been made, however the Department does publish a quarterly National Statistics release on planning applications, decisions, enforcement activity, minerals and waste planning decisions at England, regional and local authority levels. The latest release published on 28 March 2008 can be found on the Departments website at:
Planning: Approved Premises
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will bring forward proposals to amend planning legislation to provide that bail hostels with fewer than five units are deemed to constitute a separate planning use and that their establishment is subject to planning permission. [205343]
Mr. Iain Wright: Bail hostels are likely to fall into “Class C2: Residential Institutions” or be considered “sui generis” under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes Order) 1987, as amended.
Local planning authorities are best placed to determine, taking into account individual characteristics, as to which class or otherwise a particular premises belongs, and also whether a material change of use is involved.
In general, if a local planning authority considers a bail hostel to fall within Class C2, then planning permission may be required for a change of use to a bail hostel, unless the premises was already in C2 use (e.g. as a hospital or nursing home). If a local planning authority considers a bail hostel to be a sui generis use, then planning permission would usually be required for a change of use to a bail hostel. The key test in whether planning permission is required is whether a material change of use has occurred or would occur.
Amendments to the Use Classes Order were made in 2005 after extensive consultation. The use class status of bail hostels was not changed as a result of that review.
Planning: Wind Power
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will issue planning guidance requiring 2km separation zones around wind turbines. [204945]
Mr. Iain Wright:
Our preferred approach is to expect proposals to be evaluated on their likely impacts taking into account the characteristics of particular locations.
The considerations to be taken into account are set out in our Planning Policy Statement (PPS) on Planning and Climate Change and in PPS22 on Renewable Energy. The Companion Guide supporting PPS22 provides detailed advice for practitioners on the siting of wind turbines.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effects of Planning Advice Note 45 on the siting of wind turbines. [204946]
Mr. Iain Wright: Guidance for Scotland on this matter is for the Scottish Executive.
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