Written questions by Stephenson.

Communities and Local Government, what she expects the average density per hectare to be of housing developments built during this Parliament.

Development density is influenced by a range of factors, such as the type of land use, building types and form, and building heights. The National Design Guide and National Model Design Code provide guidance on these elements.Local Design Guides and Design Codes may set out densities or ranges of density, that take account of local context.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Government unveils plans for next generation of new towns, published on 13 February 2025, if she will publish a list of the 350 sites stuck in the system referenced.

To date, ten sites with a combined capacity to deliver over 35,900 homes have been announced as benefitting from site-specific government support through the New Homes Accelerator. These are: Liverpool Central Docks, Northstowe, Worcestershire Parkway, Langley Sutton Coldfield, Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community, Stretton Hall, Biggleswade Garden Community, Beam Park, South of Cayton, and Frome Gateway.Through intensive engagement with other government departments and statutory consultees, the Accelerator, as a convener and broker, has also helped progress a number of other sites with the capacity to deliver more than 20,000 homes, including Cowley Hill in Liverpool and Wolborough in Devon.We are unable to provide information on other sites which were submitted as part of the call for evidence and that have not been publicly announced as that information was provided on a confidential basis.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Press Release Government unveils plans for next generation of new towns, published on 13 February 2025, if she will publish a list of the sites unlocked through the New Homes Accelerator.

To date, ten sites with a combined capacity to deliver over 35,900 homes have been announced as benefitting from site-specific government support through the New Homes Accelerator. These are: Liverpool Central Docks, Northstowe, Worcestershire Parkway, Langley Sutton Coldfield, Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community, Stretton Hall, Biggleswade Garden Community, Beam Park, South of Cayton, and Frome Gateway.Through intensive engagement with other government departments and statutory consultees, the Accelerator, as a convener and broker, has also helped progress a number of other sites with the capacity to deliver more than 20,000 homes, including Cowley Hill in Liverpool and Wolborough in Devon.We are unable to provide information on other sites which were submitted as part of the call for evidence and that have not been publicly announced as that information was provided on a confidential basis.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the number of houses that would be built if all active planning permissions were approved.

The Department does not hold the information requested.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 26691 on Unitary Councils, which unitary authorities were contacted on 16 December 2024.

The neighbouring unitary authorities contacted on 16 December 2024, alongside all councils in two-tier areas, were Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackpool Council, Brighton and Hove City Council, Derby City Council, Isle of Wight Council, Leicester City Council, Medway Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, North Lincolnshire Council, Nottingham City Council, Peterborough City Council, Plymouth City Council, Portsmouth City Council, Rutland County Council, Southampton City Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Thurrock Council,Torbay Council.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26368 on Property Development: Floods, if she will make an estimate of the number of houses that may be built on flood plains between up to July 2029.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 26368 on 3 February 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2025 to Question 25797 on Tree Preservation Orders: Bedfordshire, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of keeping a centralised national record of Tree Protection Orders.

Tree Preservation Orders safeguard individual trees or groups of trees of particular value to local amenity.Local planning authorities have the principal responsibility for applying these protections effectively.The government has no plans at present to create a central record of their decisions, but we will keep the matter under review.

Communities and Local Government, when she expects to publish the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 24890 on 29 January 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her proposed changes to the NPPF on (a) Bedford Borough and (b) other councils that have a Local Plan at examination.

Transitional arrangements for implementing policies in the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December are set out in Annex 1 of it.

Communities and Local Government, whether she expects her reforms to local government to abolish the office of the elected Mayor of Bedford.

On the 5 February I invited unitary proposals from all two-tier councils and neighbouring unitaries and while Bedford Borough Council have not received this invitation, the White Paper is clear that Government will also facilitate reorganisation for those unitary councils where there is evidence of failure or where their size or boundaries are impacting on their responsibilities. The Government is open to discussions with all areas where structural change will help them get onto a more sustainable footing.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 25793 on Local Government: Employers' Contribution, what methodology her Department used to determine that £515 million of additional support would be required.

Additional funding for employer NICs has been determined based on a national assessment of the costs for directly employed staff. The grant distribution methodology has been published in an explanatory note on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-explanatory-note-on-the-employer-national-insurance-contribution-grant-2025-to-2026.We recognise the challenges that local authorities are facing as demand increases for critical services. That is why the government is providing an additional £2 billion of grant funding through the Settlement, which includes £502 million of additional grant funding to manage the impact of employer National Insurance Contributions changes on council budgets, and £13 million for combined authorities, totalling £515 million. The final Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25.

Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an estimate of the number of current planning permissions granted in areas highlighted in the NaFRA2 flood zone data as having a high (a) current and (b) future likelihood of surface water flooding in Bedfordshire.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework that was published on 12 December 2024 is clear that new housing, and most other forms of development, should not be permitted in functional flood plains.Estimates have not been made of the number of homes which might, exceptionally, be built in areas at risk of flooding. However, development proposals would have to pass robust tests in order to proceed in such locations.

Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an estimate of the number of houses in Local Plan sites highlighted in the NaFRA2 flood zone data as having a high (a) current and (b) future likelihood of surface water flooding in Bedfordshire.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework that was published on 12 December 2024 is clear that new housing, and most other forms of development, should not be permitted in functional flood plains.Estimates have not been made of the number of homes which might, exceptionally, be built in areas at risk of flooding. However, development proposals would have to pass robust tests in order to proceed in such locations.

Communities and Local Government, when the New Towns Taskforce will publish a list of potential new towns.

As per its Terms of Reference which can be found on gov.uk here, the New Towns Taskforce will submit a final report in summer 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an estimate of the number of houses built in areas highlighted the NaFRA2 flood zone data as having a high (a) current and (b) future likelihood of surface water flooding in Bedfordshire in the past ten years.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework that was published on 12 December 2024 is clear that new housing, and most other forms of development, should not be permitted in functional flood plains.Estimates have not been made of the number of homes which might, exceptionally, be built in areas at risk of flooding. However, development proposals would have to pass robust tests in order to proceed in such locations.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to employers’ National Insurance contribution on the plan to build 1.5 million houses in this Parliament.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 21627 on 17 January 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, how she plans to reform the relationship between town and parish councils and principal local authorities; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of additional powers for town and parish councils.

The English Devolution White Paper was clear that we know people value the role of governance at the community scale. We will therefore want to see stronger community arrangements when reorganisation happens in the way councils engage at a neighbourhood or area level.Local authorities act independently of central government. Town and parish councils can work with other tiers of local government to determine how they can best serve their communities in their area.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraphs 24 and 26 of the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024, if she will issue guidance to councils on joint working to meet housing targets across different (a) local and (b) neighbourhood plans.

The changes made to paragraphs 24 – 28 of the National Planning Policy Framework in December 2024 will ensure that we are making the most of opportunities for greater collaboration between local planning authorities and that the right engagement is occurring in respect of the sharing of unmet housing need and other cross-boundary issues.There is existing government guidance to support authorities in complying with the relevant policy in this area.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024, which new measures within the framework have implications for sustainable urban drainage systems.

The government is committed to securing the delivery of high-quality sustainable drainage systems to help manage flood risk and adapt to the effects of climate change.The revised National Planning Policy Framework we published on 12 December 2024 amended an existing paragraph regarding incorporating sustainable drainage systems in new development to make clear that developments of all sizes are expected to make use of sustainable drainage techniques where the development could have drainage impacts. These systems should be appropriate to the nature and scale of the proposed development.We will consider whether further changes are required to manage sustainable drainage systems provision through the planning system when we consult on further reform.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of the work of the New Towns Taskforce.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 22561 on 27 January 2025.