Every parliamentary written question tabled by Andrew Mitchell this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–8 of 8 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Communities and Local Government, whether guidance has been provided to Birmingham City Council in relation to advertising the range of council tax reductions that are available to local residents.
While guidance has not been issued specifically to Birmingham City Council in relation to advertising council tax reductions to local residents, the government recently issued an information letter to councils (here) to remind of the need to make council ...
Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he had had with Birmingham City Council on their best value duty.
My department regularly engages with Birmingham City Council as is normal for all Councils under intervention. The Secretary of State receives regular reports from Commissioners outlining the progress made by the Council in complying with the Best Value Duty. The most recent report was the third to be published and it was added to gov.uk on 1 December 2025 alongside a Written Ministerial Statement. Commissioners were appointed on 5 October 2023 following serious financial and governance failings and they are working with Birmingham City Council on its wider improvement journey to ensure the Council complies with the Best Value Duty.
Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with Birmingham City Council on the devolution of the management of Sutton Park to the Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council.
Ministers meet regularly with external stakeholders. Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly on GOV.UK. MHCLG is working closely with Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council on the Pride in Place Programme. Through this process, it has been made clear that Sutton Park is a vital and valued local asset. We will continue to work closely with both the Town Council and Birmingham City Council to support the delivery of the programme over the coming years.
Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions her Department has had with Birmingham City Council on the potential impact of proposed changes to green belt protections on (a) access to green space and (b) biodiversity.
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear about the importance of conserving and enhancing the natural and environment Planning policies and decisions should contribute to, and enhance, the natural and local environment by minimising impacts on and providing net gains for biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures and incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats, and hedgehogs. The revised Framework published on 12 December 2024 makes clear that ‘Golden Rules’ should apply to major development including the provision of housing on land released from the Green Belt through plan preparation or review, or on sites in the Green Belt subject to a planning application. These ‘Golden Rules’ include necessary improvements to local or national infrastructure. It is for local planning authorities to apply national policy when preparing local development plans or determining planning applications, including in relation to the Green Belt.
Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help support economic growth in Sutton Coldfield town centre.
Sutton Coldfield is receiving up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade through the Plan for Neighbourhoods. This initiative aims to transform the area by unleashing its full potential, investing in improved community services such as education, health, and employment, and tackling local issues like crime. The transformation will be holistic, long-term, and sustainable, delivering meaningful change in the day-to-day lives of local people, led by a Neighbourhood Board made up of local people and independently chaired.
Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to help support the regeneration of town centres in the West Midlands.
In December 2024, the government announced that the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) will receive £46,463,600 in UKSPF funding for the 2025/26 financial year. This includes £13,727,835 in capital funding and £32,735,765 in revenue funding. The UKSPF funding will be part of the WMCA's broader Integrated Settlement award. Additionally, six areas in the West Midlands will receive £120 million towards regeneration and community support. Bedworth in Warwickshire, Bilston, Darlaston, Dudley, and Smethwick in the Black Country, and Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham will each receive £20 million over the next 10 years. The funding, available since April, comes from the government's Plan for Neighbourhoods programme, which is releasing £1.5 billion to 75 areas in the UK based on criteria such as deprivation, life expectancy, and investment needs.
Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to tackle rough sleeping in the Birmingham City Council area.
For 2025/26, the department has allocated over £3.6 million to Birmingham City Council across rough sleeping grants. The Government will develop a new cross government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to take steps to ensure that planning guidance issued by her Department includes measures on preserving (a) biodiversity and (b) habitats for pollinators.
The National Planning Policy framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should conserve and enhance the natural environment by minimising impacts on, and providing net gains for, biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures and incorporating features which support priority or threatened species. Planning Practice Guidance on the Natural Environment provides further detail on how users of the planning system can implement these policies.