Every parliamentary written question tabled by Max Wilkinson this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 37 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Communities and Local Government, whether a five storey building meets the criteria for Homes England to provide funding for essential cladding remediation works, irrespective of the building's height.
Homes England may provide funding for cladding remediation works through the Cladding Safety Scheme where a building meets the eligibility criteria for that scheme. The published criteria state that eligible residential buildings must be over 11 metres in height.
Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the maintenance cost to councils of ageing water infrastructure.
The department collects data about local authorities’ expenditure and income relating to all services through the General Fund Revenue Outturn data collection. All expenditure data on environmental and regulatory services for 2024-25 are published within the local authority revenue expenditure and financing statistics and can be found in the RO5 tables. This does not include a specific breakdown for maintaining water infrastructure.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment has his Department made of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on future recruitment and retention of Trading Standards Officers.
Trading standards is a statutory local authority function, and councils are responsible for ensuring they are able to discharge their duties. During local government reorganisation, the expectation is staff employed by existing local authorities, such as Trading Standards Officers, will transfer to a new unitary council set up for the area.
Communities and Local Government, whether the building safety regulator is (a) fully staffed and (b) working at full capacity.
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) on 27 January 2026 officially moved to become an arm’s length body of MHCLG. BSR increased their regulatory capacity throughout 2025 and now have a headcount across all functions approaching 500, an increase of over 40% since June 2025. BSR will continue to recruit throughout 2026 and has plans in place to drive greater efficiencies whilst ensuring resources are matched to the demand for its regulatory services.
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department holds information on the proportion of cases to the building safety regulator that (i) currently and (ii) historically require an extension before being assessed.
Building Safety Regulator officials have provided the below data:66.4% of Live Gateway 2 applications have an extension in place (867 of 1,305)41.7% of closed Gateway 2 applications had an extension (1,374 of 3,286)48.7% of all Gateway 2 applications have/had an extension (2,238 of 4,591)
Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the performance of the Housing Regulator in meeting its KPIs on i) Driving improvement, ii) Maintaining confidence, iii) Working with others and iv) building the organisation.
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. My Department has not itself assessed the adequacy of the RSH’s performance in meeting its KPIs. The RSH publishes its performance framework and reports annually on key performance indicators through its Corporate Plan and Annual Report and Accounts. My Department monitors the RSH’s performance through regular Accounting Officer meetings.
Communities and Local Government, whether local government reorganisation processes in Gloucestershire will enable new unitary authority elections to take place in 2027.
The government remains committed to the indicative timetable published in July 2025, with elections to new councils in May 2027 with a go live date of April 2028.
Communities and Local Government, whether it is his policy for Gloucestershire to be placed in a mayoral combined authority devolution deal with Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
On 12 February, the government wrote to all local authorities – including in Gloucestershire and its neighbours – that do not currently have a devolution agreement inviting them to come forward with to agree a non-mayoral, Foundation Strategic Authority across a sensible geography. It is for councils to propose new devolution arrangements where local consensus has been reached with their neighbours, and we will consider any proposals brought forward, subject to it meeting the criteria set out in the English Devolution White Paper and the forthcoming English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
Communities and Local Government, what is his proposed timetable for Gloucestershire to join a mayoral combined authority.
On 12 February, the government wrote to all local authorities – including in Gloucestershire and its neighbours – that do not currently have a devolution agreement inviting them to come forward with to agree a non-mayoral, Foundation Strategic Authority across a sensible geography. It is for councils to propose new devolution arrangements where local consensus has been reached with their neighbours, and we will consider any proposals brought forward, subject to it meeting the criteria set out in the English Devolution White Paper and the forthcoming English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to enable leaseholders to hold management companies to account for service charges.
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statements made on 4 July 2025 (HCWS780) and 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to enable homeowners to challenge increases in fees from management companies.
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statements made on 4 July 2025 (HCWS780) and 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).
Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the importance of the upgrade to junction 10 of the M5 to the Cheltenham Tewkesbury and Gloucester Strategic Local Plan.
The deliverability of local plans, including in relation to the provision of essential infrastructure, is tested by Inspectors during local plan examinations. It will be for the inspectors to determine the importance of different infrastructure required to deliver the plan. In my letter to the Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate on 9 October 2025, which can be found on gov.uk here, I stressed the importance of Inspectors approaching examinations of plans prepared in the current plan-making system with the appropriate degree of flexibility. Expectations around the evidencing of whether the legal and soundness tests have been met should be proportionate to the context in which plans in the existing system are being prepared.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of allowing an exemption from Selective Licensing Schemes to be granted to leaseholders whose properties are within the Cladding Safety Scheme.
My Department has made no such assessment. We will continue to keep selective licensing regulations under review.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Gloucester City Council's finances on local government reorganisation in Gloucestershire.
We have made no such assessment at this stage. On 28 November we received proposals for unitary councils from Gloucestershire councils, which included information on efficiencies and financial sustainability. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance, responses to the statutory consultation and the available evidence. Gloucester City Council have indicated publicly that they may need to seek Exceptional Financial Support from Government. The Department stands ready to talk to any council that is worried about its financial position.
Communities and Local Government, when his Department intends to publish the Future Homes Standard.
The Government understands the urgency of introducing new energy efficiency standards so that as many homes as possible are highly efficient and use low-carbon heating. We are carefully considering at what level to set the technical requirements of the Future Homes Standard to deliver an ambitious standard that is on track to achieve our net zero ambitions while also being achievable across the country. The Future Homes Standard will be delivered in the coming months.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of requiring the disclosure of the true beneficiary of a planning application to enhance public scrutiny.
Planning permissions relate to plots of land and so the identity of the applicant and the ownership of land are not normally material considerations in planning decisions. Disclosure of the true beneficiary of a planning permission would therefore not affect the outcome of a planning decision.
Communities and Local Government, what consideration his Department has given to allowing interested third parties to seek a review of administrative planning conditions.
Conditions on planning applications can be challenged by the applicant through appeal, but not by a third party. Third parties can make representations on planning applications during the consultation stage and through engagement with the local planning authority. In making a decision on a planning application, the local planning authority must have considered all the representations made and must take into account those views.
Communities and Local Government, what his Department’s policy is on the alignment of mayoral combined authority boundaries and integrated care board boundaries, in the context of (a) devolution and (b) NHS reorganisation.
The English Devolution White Paper was clear that our long-term ambition is for public service boundaries, including those of health and strategic authorities, to align. We remain committed to this goal, and the 10 Year Health Plan sets out our aim that Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) should be coterminous with one or more strategic authorities wherever feasibly possible. The Department of Health and Social Care will work closely with NHS England and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to decide any further ICB mergers and boundary changes.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposals to introduce unitary government in Gloucestershire on democratic representation in towns with a population of more than 100,000 people.
Gloucestershire councils have not yet submitted their proposal(s) for local government reorganisation. They are due by 28 November. Once proposals are submitted, and following a statutory consultation, Ministers will carefully consider proposals against the criteria set out in the invitation letter sent to Gloucestershire councils on 6 February 2025, before a decision is taken on which proposal, if any, is implemented.
Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of property businesses that do not adequately renovate town centre commercial properties on economic growth.
There are no plans to make such an assessment. However, the National Planning Policy Framework supports the role of high streets and town centres, by expecting local plans to create a positive framework for their growth and adaptation. This Government is fully committed to rejuvenating our high streets. To address the blight of vacancy, the Government has implemented High Street Rental Auctions, which empowers local authorities in England to auction the lease of persistently vacant commercial high street properties.