Tag: housing

Housing Bill: Bishop of St Albans puts amendment to require assessment of needs of Gypsies and Travellers

On 17th March 2016 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill in committee. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, spoke to an amendment he had tabled, which was co-sponsored by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Williams of Oystermouth. The amendment, to clause 115 of the Bill, concerned the requirement on local authorities to assess the needs of Gypsies and Travellers. It was withdrawn after debate, as is usual at committee.The Bishops’ speech and the Minister’s response are below:

THE LORD BISHOP OF ST ALBANS
BARONESS BAKEWELL OF HARDINGTON MANDEVILLE
BARONESS WHITAKER
LORD WILLIAMS OF OYSTERMOUTH

82H Page 53, line 1, leave out subsection (2)

 

StAlbans171115The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I shall speak to Amendment 82H, which has broad support across this House. This is a simple probing amendment that would seek to retain Sections 225 and 226 of the Housing Act 2004 in legislation, requiring local authorities to undertake a direct assessment of Gypsy and Traveller needs. I shall also speak to Amendment 82GD, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Beecham, which may point towards an alternative way forward. Continue reading “Housing Bill: Bishop of St Albans puts amendment to require assessment of needs of Gypsies and Travellers”

Housing and Planning Bill: Bishop of St Albans argues for rural housing association homes to be exempt from right to buy plans

On 8th March 2016 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill in committee. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, supported an amendment to clause 62 of the Bill, on social housing and the right to buy. The amendment, which was withdrawn after debate, sought to prevent right to buy applying to housing association properties in rural areas unless in exceptional cases.

Bishop St Albans June 2015The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I support Amendment 56, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Royall, to which I have added my name. I, along with other noble Lords, have received a number of letters from people living in rural areas who are deeply concerned at what seem the inevitable consequences if this issue is not addressed.

The major force of this amendment, as the noble Baroness pointed out, would be to change the emphasis in the current right-to-buy arrangement from one in which housing associations can choose to exempt themselves from exercising right to buy in rural areas, as per the current agreement, to one in which housing associations would be unable to exercise right to buy in rural areas, unless in exceptional cases, as set out in proposed new subsection (1A) of the amendment.

The rationale for the amendment is pretty simple. Affordable housing should not be sold off in communities where it will not be replaced. Continue reading “Housing and Planning Bill: Bishop of St Albans argues for rural housing association homes to be exempt from right to buy plans”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about affordable housing for those on low incomes

On 1st March 2016 Lord Kennedy of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government “what action they are taking to help people on the living wage in London to own their own homes.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a follow up question:

 

StAlbans171115The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, there is much concern that the focus on starter homes could threaten the provision of alternative housing schemes that are more suitable for those on low incomes, such as shared ownership. Will the Minister assure the House that Her Majesty’s Government’s emphasis on these starter homes will be in addition to other affordable schemes such as shared ownership rather than replacing them?

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about affordable housing for those on low incomes”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about housebuilding in flood areas

StAlbans171115On the 10th February 2016 the Bishop of St Albans received two written answers about housing and flooding.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new housing developments were built in the period 2010 to 2015 against advice given by the Environment Agency. [HL5516] Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about housebuilding in flood areas”

Bishop of Rochester says regenerating housing estates is about investing in more than just buildings

On 9th February 2016 Baroness Janke asked Her Majesty’s Government “whether they will provide further information on their proposals for renewal or replacement of failed housing estates, following the announcement by the Prime Minister of £140 million funding; and whether any additional funding will be made available.” The Bishop of Rochester, Rt Revd James Langstaff, asked a follow up question:

RochesterThe Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, I speak as one who lived on one of these estates for some 10 years in the 1980s and 1990s at a time when significant public money was invested in that estate. My memory, looking back with the benefit of hindsight, is that we probably gave relatively too much attention to physical investment and not enough to investment in other kinds of infrastructure. Will the Minister assure me that, while attention is given to the physical fabric, whether that is new or renewed, equal attention—maybe even over and above the £140 million, or another £140 million—will be given to such matters as educational, social and economic infrastructure?

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The right reverend Prelate makes a really good point about regeneration being about not just the physical structures that are in place but some of the social structures that are in place to support communities, and other amenities, as he said, such as schools, hospitals and GP surgeries, that so often are not thought about when we think about regeneration.

(via Parliament.uk)

 

Bishop of St Albans asks about new housebuilding on floodplains

On 4th February 2016 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question on flooding.

StAlbans171115The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of new houses built in each of the years from 2010 to 2015 were built on floodplains, and whether they expect that proportion to change in the next five years. [HL5515]

 

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about new housebuilding on floodplains”

Welfare Reform Bill: Bishop of Durham speaks in favour of measures to aid supported housing

On the 27th January 2016 the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, spoke during the second day of the Report  Stage of the Government’s Welfare Reform and Work Bill. The Bishop spoke in support of an amendment in the name of Lord Best, to exclude supported housing from the proposed social housing rent reduction.

Bp Durham June 2015 b

Continue reading “Welfare Reform Bill: Bishop of Durham speaks in favour of measures to aid supported housing”

Housing Bill: Bishop of St Albans raises concerns on rural housing and right to buy

On 26th January 2016, the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, took part in the Second Reading debate of the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill. The Bishop raised concerns about the impact of the bill on rural affordable housing, right to buy, implications for local councils, and the effect of the Bill on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

StAlbans171115The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I, too, add my congratulations to the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, and the noble Lord, Lord Thurlow, on their excellent maiden speeches.

I shall limit my comments to three areas. My first concern stems from the right-to-buy deal that has been agreed between the Government and the NHF, and the provisions within the Bill which will accommodate starter homes within affordable housing requirements. My concern is that housing which would once have been provided as affordable rented housing—affordable in perpetuity—will now be replaced by starter homes and homes to buy, with the only condition on their resale being that they be held off the market for a period of five years. Continue reading “Housing Bill: Bishop of St Albans raises concerns on rural housing and right to buy”

Housing Bill: Bishop of Rochester asks about affordable housing and lifetime secure tenancies

On 26th January 2016, the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Revd James Langstaff, took part in the Second Reading debate of the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill. The Bishop raised concerns about the impact of the bill on affordable housing and lifetime secure tenancies. The Bishop of St Albans also spoke in the debate.

RochesterThe Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, I, too, welcome the opportunity to hear the maiden speeches of the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, and the noble Lord, Lord Thurlow. I look forward to the contributions that they will make to your Lordships’ House.

There is a clear view on all sides of this House, the other place and across large parts of the nation that more housing is needed. The questions concern whether this Bill will help to deliver that housing in the right way and in the right places for the people who need it most. Within my diocese at Ebbsfleet we have one of the largest single housing developments in the United Kingdom—a completely new development which will house up to 45,000 new people. While I have questions about some of the details of that development, and some of the details are as yet unknown, I am generally supportive of what is intended. So I am not against new development and I welcome those things in the Bill which may make that possible in appropriate ways. Continue reading “Housing Bill: Bishop of Rochester asks about affordable housing and lifetime secure tenancies”

Church Commissioners Written Answer – Peterborough property development

Caroline SpelmanOn the 19th January 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, the Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP answered a written question relating to the Church Commissioners’ property developments in Peterborough.

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent progress has been made on (a) residential development and (b) infrastructure planning on Church Commissioner land allocated as an urban extension by Peterborough City Council at (i) Paston Reserve and (ii) Norwood; and if she will make a statement. [21889]

Mrs Caroline Spelman: There are no further developments to report since the answer given by the Church Commissioners to question 16388 on the 20 November 2015.

(via Parliament.UK)