Every parliamentary written question tabled by Helen Grant this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–3 of 3 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure that property management companies (a) accurately relay charges to customers, (b) respond to correspondence within reasonable timeframes and (c) do not add administrative charges without explanation.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 38576 on 24 March 2025 and Question 37829 on 20 March 2025.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the adequacy of the service provided by First Port property management.
The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents.Legislation is currently enforced by local authorities and by the National Trading Standards’ Lettings and Estate Agency Team, who have the power to issue warnings and banning orders to rogue estate and letting agents.The previous government committed to regulate the property agent sector in 2018 and asked a working group chaired by Lord Best to advise them on how best to do it.However, they failed to respond to the recommendations set out in the working group’s 2019 Regulation of Property Agents: working group report which can be found on gov.uk here.Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of multi-occupancy buildings and freehold estates, and their importance will only increase as we transition toward a commonhold future. As a result, we are looking again at the 2019 report.As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government have made clear it intends to strengthen regulation of managing agents to drive up the standard of their service. As a minimum, this should include mandatory professional qualifications which set a new basic standard that managing agents will be required to meet. We will consult on this matter this year.We will set out our full position on regulation of estate, letting and managing agents in due course.
Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps through the National Planning Policy Framework to support local authorities with assessing the cumulative impact of multiple planning applications on (a) school places, (b) GP surgeries and (c) other local infrastructure.
The National Planning Policy Framework sets an expectation that the provision of local services is to be taken into account when planning for development.Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. This will remain the case irrespective of whether any proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework or wider national planning policy are taken forward.When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period.The Government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through the Housing Infrastructure Fund.The Government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure that new developments provide appropriate affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.