You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Daily Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

29 Apr 2009 : Column 1379W—continued


29 Apr 2009 : Column 1380W

Others: (80 per cent. of applications within 13 weeks)


29 Apr 2009 : Column 1381W

Planning: Horticulture

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration she has given to strengthening the role of horticulture in (a) local development frameworks and (b) regional spatial strategies; and if she will make a statement. [265903]

Mr. Iain Wright: We have no plans to strengthen the inclusion of horticulture in local development frameworks and regional spatial strategies. ‘Planning Policy Guidance note 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation, 2002’ (PPG17) already states that local planning authorities should make robust assessments of the needs of their communities for all open spaces of public value, which, by definition, includes parks and gardens, allotments, and city (urban) farms.

Local authorities should use the information gained from their assessments of needs and opportunities to set locally derived standards for the provision of open space. These should form the basis for addressing the amount and quality of open space through the planning process. PPG17 also states that standards should be included in development plans, i.e. local development frameworks and regional spatial strategies.

In March this year, CLG contributed £1 million to the cost of training and employment for the first year of 60 additional horticultural apprenticeship places in some of the most deprived urban local authorities. This action complements CABE Space's work to raise skills across the green space sector.

Property Development

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many historic battlefield sites have been wholly or partly built upon since 1990; and if she will make a statement. [270865]

Mr. Iain Wright: In 1995 English Heritage established a Register of Historic Battlefields, which contains 43 important sites. Of these, eight were identified as being at high risk in the 2008 Heritage at Risk Register, with pressure from development being the most common risk. The Government do not maintain detailed information about developments on individual battlefields, though we are aware that certain sites (such as Worcester and Stamford Bridge) have had substantial development. The effect of proposed development on a registered site is a material consideration to be taken into account in determining planning applications. It is also open to local planning authorities to designate as a conservation area any part of their area which has special historic interest and whose character or appearance it is desirable to preserve or enhance.


29 Apr 2009 : Column 1382W

Repossession Orders

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the number of households which entered the social housing sector as a result of repossessions in each of the last three years. [270986]

Mr. Iain Wright: Full information as requested is not available. The Continuous Recordings of Lettings (CORE) gives numbers of new social tenants who reported eviction or repossession as the main reason for leaving their last settled home. This does not identify repossessions separately, and also will not include households who have lived in other settled accommodation (for instance in the private rented sector) since having their home repossessed.

The following table gives the number of lettings to registered social landlord (RSL) tenants in the last three years, where they have reported eviction or repossession as the main reason for leaving their last settled home. Figures for local authority lets are not yet available due to gaps in the local authority data.

RSL lettings( 1) to tenants reporting repossessions and evictions as their main reason for leaving last settled home, England

 Count Percentage of total RSL lettings( 2)

2005-06

5,300

2.5

2006-07

5,680

2.6

2007-08

5,970

2.8

(1) All new and housing and existing lettings are covered, including general needs and supported housing.
(2) The percentage excludes cases where no reason was given.

Shelter: Eco-Towns

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial assistance the Government has given Shelter to promote its eco-town proposal guides through online advertising on search engines. [271530]

Mr. Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 1284W. This sets out the funding that my Department has provided to Shelter to support the production and dissemination of these publications, which provide information about the housing situation in and around the potential eco-town locations. This included raising awareness through online search engines.

Sleeping Rough

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the average number of people sleeping rough each night in 2008. [271638]

Mr. Iain Wright: The 2008 national estimate of the number of rough sleepers in England showed 483 people sleeping rough on any single night—a 74 per cent. reduction on the 1998 baseline. The estimate is based on the results of local authority street counts in those areas where a known, or suspected, rough sleeping problem has been identified.


29 Apr 2009 : Column 1383W

Supporting People Programme

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will review the eligibility criteria to enable young people leaving care aged 16 or 17 years to receive services funded by the Supporting People programme. [271341]

Mr. Iain Wright: Each local authority is responsible for setting their own eligibility criteria based on local needs and priorities, which then determines who can access services that are funded from the Supporting People Programme .

While the Government set the national framework for the provision of Supporting People services, administering authorities have responsibility for developing, delivering and monitoring the programme locally, based on local needs and priorities in relation to the provision of housing support, which develops and sustains an individual’s capacity to live independently in their accommodation, as set out in the local authority’s Supporting People five-year strategy.

From 2009-10 the ring fence has been removed from the Supporting People Programme which provides local authorities with the opportunity to develop and provide more innovative and holistic services to meet local needs and priorities.

Next Section Index Home Page