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17 July 2008 : Column 579W—continued
Caroline Flint:
As part of the first stage of consultation the details of all the shortlisted locations, including Middle Quinton/Long Marston, are set out in the expressions of interest submitted by bidders, and these informed the summaries of the proposed locations set out in the consultation document “Eco-towns—Living a greener future”. These details are available from our website together with further information about the schemes. Warwickshire was given as the location for the Middle Quinton proposal as the bulk of the scheme lies in that county. In any future material we will make clear
that parts of the scheme extend across the boundary into Worcestershire and also have an impact on Gloucestershire.
We have just completed the first stage of consultation and through this and ongoing work we are assembling more details about sites, including Middle Quinton/Long Marston. In the second stage we will publish—for further consultation—a draft planning policy statement and a draft sustainability appraisal which will set out more detail for each location. Also as part of this there will be further consultation events around the shortlisted locations to provide further information and listen to the public’s views, and details will be provided to media in all three counties.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to speed up planning procedures in respect of applications for developments of eco-towns. [217804]
Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) today (PQ 213886).
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which of the sites proposed for an eco-town and not included on the shortlist her Department or its predecessor has (a) sold or (b) otherwise disposed of land under arrangements whereby her Department would benefit from a future sale of the land in the last 10 years. [210092]
Caroline Flint: One of the Department's agencies, English Partnerships, holds surplus public sector land which is included in the bid for the Pennbury eco-town proposals outside Leicester, which is one of the shortlisted sites.
As regards other former ownerships, information about land sold or disposed of by my Department and its predecessors in the last 10 years in relation to the other shortlisted eco-town sites, and those not shortlisted for further consultation and assessment, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by what means she plans to accelerate the planning process for eco-towns. [213886]
Caroline Flint: The draft eco-towns planning policy statement, which we will publish in draft for consultation, will become a useful addition to the policy framework and will set out how local planning authorities will consider eco-towns through the planning system, which we already have in place. The eco-towns planning policy statement will be an important material consideration in the determination of any planning application for an eco-town, particularly where the development plan is silent or out of date.
Eco-towns: Greenbelt
Robert Neill:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 7 May 2008, Official Report, column 1037W, on eco-towns: planning permission, and the answer to the
hon. Member for the Cotswolds of 25 April 2008, Official Report, column 2303W, on eco-towns: green belt, which eco-town bids involve greenfield development; and what estimated number of hectares of greenfield land would be developed in each case. [213580]
Caroline Flint: Most of the eco-town proposals include a mix of brownfield and greenfield land. Initial summaries of greenfield/brownfield were included in the consultation paper “Eco-towns—living a greener future” published on 3 April. Several of the schemes have since been adjusted in the light of consultation with local partners and we will set out an updated summary of this information when the Eco-towns update document is published.
Empty Property
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008, Official Report, column 1355W, on empty property, what estimate she has made of the number of homes that will be made available using the £200 million fund; and what assessment she has made of the effect this initiative and the Settled Homes Initiative will have on (a) the numbers of households on housing waiting lists and (b) the number of empty properties on the housing market. [219792]
Mr. Iain Wright: We have given Housing Corporation flexibility in 2008-09 to acquire up to £200 million worth of completed stock that can be put to use as affordable housing. We estimate that this will enable the purchase of between 3,000 to 5,000 properties. So far the Housing Corporation has allocated some £19 million, since the scheme was announced in May, bringing over 600 homes into the affordable housing programme.
If properties at the right price, in the right locations and offering good standards are available, the Housing Corporation will consider investing further resources to support delivery of our demanding affordable housing targets.
In 2007, £30 million was provided for the Settled Homes Initiative which will enable six schemes in London to purchase around 900 empty homes and convert them over time into quality settled social housing.
Energy: Conservation
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the number of A-rated energy labelled circulator pumps installed in (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic properties. [219267]
Mr. Iain Wright: The labelling scheme on circulators is voluntary and therefore the Government do not hold information on the number of A rated circulator pumps installed in the UK.
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department plans to include energy efficient circulator pumps within Part L of the Buildings Regulations for domestic and non-domestic properties; and if she will make a statement. [219268]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Department has started a review of the energy efficiency provisions within Part L of the Building Regulations. As part of this we are considering the potential for introduction of energy efficiency standards for pumps in domestic and non-domestic properties. Any such proposals would be the subject of formal consultation in 2009 with the aim of making amendments that would come into effect in 2010.
Housing Renewal Areas
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable she has set for establishing new (a) output targets and (b) funding agreements for Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders. [217849]
Mr. Iain Wright: Discussions with housing market renewal partnerships to agree output targets and funding agreements for 2008-09 are in hand. We expect to have completed new funding agreements, containing output targets, by September. As before, copies of these funding agreements will be placed in the Library of the House.
Housing: Construction
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the likely effect of conditions in the economy on plans to build 83,200 houses in Hertfordshire by 2021. [219341]
Mr. Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 June 2008, Official Report, column 497W, to the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Julia Goldsworthy).
Housing: Sales
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of current trends in the housing market; what steps she plans to take to implement the lifetime homes standard in current market conditions; and if she will make a statement. [219795]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Government do not publish forecasts for house prices or house-building. The National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society, launched in February this year, stated that we would be undertaking a review of the take-up of Lifetimes Homes Standards across all sectors in 2010 in order to decide what further measures may be necessary to drive change in this area. This review will look at all relevant considerations including market conditions.
In the meantime, the up-take of Lifetime Homes Standards continues to be encouraged through our policy of making them a required element in the Code for Sustainable Homes at Level 6 from 2008, Level 4 from 2010 and Level 3 from 2013. This will have the effect of ensuring that all publicly funded housing is built to Lifetime Homes Standards from 2011.
Housing: Standards
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the savings which will accrue to local authorities from implementing the lifetime homes standard. [219793]
Mr. Iain Wright: In the consultation document ‘The Future of the Code for Sustainable Homes (Making a rating mandatory)’ (July 2007) we published a Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment which estimated that the total quantified benefits arising from implementation of Lifetime Homes Standards would be £95.2 million per year. A breakdown of the costs and benefits are provided in that document. The proportion of this benefit accruing to local authorities is not specifically identified.
Local Authorities: Housing
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the role of parish and town councils as (a) residential landlords and (b) housing enablers. [219186]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Department supports the development of a wide range of capable, viable and well managed housing providers. The Department has not made any assessment of the role of parish and town councils as residential landlords or housing enablers.
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) guidance and (b) financial assistance her Department has provided to local authorities to invoke (i) mandatory and selective houses in multiple occupation licensing powers and (ii) the Housing Health and Safety Rating System since the implementation of the Housing Act 2004. [219522]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Department has published guidance for local authorities on the criteria for making applications for additional houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing and selective licensing schemes. The Department has also published Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Operating Guidance for local authorities and Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Enforcement Guidance and Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Guidance for landlords and property related professionals.
The Department has funded the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) to support local housing authorities in England and Wales in implementing mandatory HMO licensing and on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. LACORS issues guidance, advice, and coordinates and disseminates best practice in relation to regulation of private sector housing.
Planning: Public Participation
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the use of charrettes to involve local people in the planning process (a) in Hertfordshire and (b) elsewhere. [219697]
Mr. Iain Wright: The Department has made no assessment of this particular technique either in Hertfordshire or elsewhere. The choice of methods for consultation is a local matter.
Poverty
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the 100 most deprived wards in the UK were in (a) 2004 and (b) the most recent period for which figures are available. [219631]
John Healey: Data on deprivation are no longer collected at ward level. However, the following tables provide details of the 100 most deprived lower super output areas (LSOA) in England for 2004 and 2007. LSOAs have between 1,000 and 3,000 people living in them and, in most cases, are smaller than wards. The tables provide the name of the ward in which the LSOA is situated, as well as the local authority district.
| Most deprived lower super output areas in England: 2004 | |||
| Rank of IMD( 1) | LSOA code | Ward name | LA name |
| (1) Where 1 is most deprived | |||
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