Every parliamentary written question tabled by Alex Mayer this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 21–23 of 23 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Communities and Local Government, how many fines have been issued for violating tree preservation orders in each year since 2010.
Fines for violating tree preservation orders are issued locally through Magistrates Courts and the government does not hold information on fines issued. Anyone found guilty of violating a Tree Preservation Order is liable to a fine of up to £20,000.
Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an estimate of the number of households that are located on estate roads that have not been adopted by their local authority as of 17 October 2024.
We do not hold comprehensive information on the number of households that are located on estate roads that have not been adopted by their local authority.The impact assessment for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act estimated that 1,557,000 households lived on freehold estates. This is based upon data from the English Housing Survey (up to 2021 – 22) about the self-reported circumstances of households. This will include estates with a range of different charges not all of which will have unadopted roads. The impact assessment noted that this was likely to be an underestimate.It is likely that the number of households living on freehold estates has increased since this estimate was completed. The Competition and Markets Authority estimated that over 80% of properties built in 2021 – 22 by the largest 11 housebuilders, representing around two fifths of all new builds across England Scotland and Wales, were subject to estate management charges.The Government has published its response the Competition and Market’s Authority’s housebuilding study. This includes bringing forward a new consumer code for housebuilders and a New Homes Ombudsman service which will empower homeowners to rightly challenge developers for any quality issues they face in their home.As outlined in the King’s Speech, the government is committed to bring the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ private estates and unfair costs to an end – we will consult on the best way to achieve this. As part of this work, the government will consult with homeowners, developers, local authorities, management companies and others, to gather evidence in support of this commitment. We will also implement new protections for homeowners on private estates in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that building regulations take into account the need for homes to be resilient to extreme (a) heat and (b) cold.
A new requirement was introduced as part of the Building Regulations in 2021 to reduce the risk of overheating in new residential buildings. The requirement came into effect in June 2022 and means that new residential buildings must now be designed in such a way as to reduce overheating. The Future Homes and Buildings Standard consultation was published in December 2023 and closed in March 2024. It sought views on whether the current overheating standards are appropriate or require amendment. We are reviewing proposals and feedback from the consultation and will publish the Government response in due course. An uplift to the energy efficiency standards for new homes was also introduced in 2021. This uplift delivered a significant increase in fabric standards, including insulation standards, and came into effect in June 2022. New homes built to the 2021 standards will be warm, comfortable and resilient to extreme cold.