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  • Maria Miller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Maria Miller – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Miller on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what powers the Forestry Commission has to (a) impose fines, (b) restore woodland and (c) take other enforcement action where a landowner has carried out deforestation contrary to the Forestry Act 1967.

    Dan Rogerson

    Only the courts have the power to impose fines on people convicted of felling trees without a licence where one is required under the Forestry Commissioners’ Power to control felling of trees in Part II of the Forestry Act 1967 (as amended). This can be up to £2,500 or twice the value of the trees, whichever is the higher.

    Where it appears to the Forestry Commissioners that somebody has committed an offence by felling trees without a licence where one is required, the Commissioners can serve them with a Restocking Notice requiring the area to be restocked. Failure to comply with the requirements of a Restocking Notice can result in an Enforcement Notice being issued. It is an offence not to obey an Enforcement Notice, which can mean a possible fine of up to £5,000.

    Where deforestation accompanied by a change of land use has not received the required consent and has a significant impact on the environment, the Forestry Commission can, under the provisions in The Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry)(England and Wales) Regulations 1999, issue an Enforcement Notice requiring the land to be restored to its condition before the work started.

  • David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects to reach a decision on whether Haringey Council will be issued with a Compulsory Purchase Order in relation to the site of 1-3 Paxton Road, London N17 0PB.

    Nick Boles

    We are currently considering whether to confirm a Compulsory Purchase Order known as The London Borough of Haringey (Northumberland Development Project) (No 1) submitted by Haringey Council which includes the site of 1-3 Paxton Road. The Order was received in the Department on 5 September 2012.

    This is a complex case. After the close of the inquiry there were matters in respect of which further views of the interested parties were sought and considered. This has delayed the decision in this case.

    We hope to issue the decision on this shortly. It is not appropriate to comment further as to do so may prejudice the Secretary of State’s decision.

  • David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average length of time is taken by his Department to issue a Compulsory Purchase Order to a local authority.

    Nick Boles

    Since May 2012 (when the National Planning Casework Unit took responsibility for this area of work) the average length of time to make a decision on opposed planning Compulsory Purchase Orders is 10-11 weeks.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that the legal owner of a property is identified when a planning application is submitted relating to that property.

    Nick Boles

    I am not aware of representations about landlords who own multiple properties disguising their ownership of a property when submitting a planning application.

    It is already a requirement that planning applications must be accompanied by a certificate which applicants must complete that provides certain details about the ownership of the application site. An application is not valid, and therefore cannot be determined by the local planning authority, unless the relevant certificate has been completed.

  • David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when his Department received the application from Haringey Council for a Compulsory Purchase Order to be issued for the site of 1-3 Paxton Road, London, N17 0PB.

    Nick Boles

    We are currently considering whether to confirm a Compulsory Purchase Order known as The London Borough of Haringey (Northumberland Development Project) (No 1) submitted by Haringey Council which includes the site of 1-3 Paxton Road. The Order was received in the Department on 5 September 2012.

    This is a complex case. After the close of the inquiry there were matters in respect of which further views of the interested parties were sought and considered. This has delayed the decision in this case.

    We hope to issue the decision on this shortly. It is not appropriate to comment further as to do so may prejudice the Secretary of State’s decision.

  • Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve McCabe – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on landlords who own multiple properties disguising their ownership of a property when submitting a planning application.

    Nick Boles

    I am not aware of representations about landlords who own multiple properties disguising their ownership of a property when submitting a planning application.

    It is already a requirement that planning applications must be accompanied by a certificate which applicants must complete that provides certain details about the ownership of the application site. An application is not valid, and therefore cannot be determined by the local planning authority, unless the relevant certificate has been completed.

  • David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Lammy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Lammy on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what average length of time is taken by his Department to make a decision on a planning application referred to it.

    Nick Boles

    During 2013/14, 272 planning applications were referred to the Secretary of State under the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2009. Records indicate that the average number of days it took to make a decision was 21 days.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Justin Tomlinson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that newly built residential properties have access to telephone and internet services.

    Nick Boles

    Developers and internet providers recognise the importance of telephone and internet provision in new builds and that customers’ expectation is these services will be available on the day they move in. My Department, with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is working with house builders and providers of telephone and internet services to ensure newly built residential properties have access to telephone and internet services.

  • Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of local authorities which have adopted powers under the London Local Authorities Act 2007 to re-use graves where burial rights have been extinguished since that Act came into force.

    Simon Hughes

    The Ministry of Justice has not made an estimate of the number of grave spaces created since the introduction of the London Local Authorities Act 2007 or the number of local authorities who have used powers under the Act to re-use graves. However, as the Ministry of Justice has responsibility for burial law and policy, I am keeping the issue of burial space under active review including considering what legislative changes might be necessary to address a shortage of graves.

  • Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Matthew Offord – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of grave spaces that have been created in London since the introduction of the London Local Authorities Act 2007.

    Simon Hughes

    The Ministry of Justice has not made an estimate of the number of grave spaces created since the introduction of the London Local Authorities Act 2007 or the number of local authorities who have used powers under the Act to re-use graves. However, as the Ministry of Justice has responsibility for burial law and policy, I am keeping the issue of burial space under active review including considering what legislative changes might be necessary to address a shortage of graves.