Tag: Michael Tomlinson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will (a) fund or (b) conduct algal harvesting in order to improve water quality in Poole Harbour.

Rory Stewart

To improve the water quality in Poole Harbour, the Environment Agency focuses on improving nutrient and soil management efficiency of surrounding farmland rather than funding algal harvesting. A feasibility study commissioned by the Environment Agency has concluded that algal harvesting in Poole Harbour would have little material impact on the water quality in the harbour and that the harvesting process may have a detrimental impact on the bird population, with the costs outweighing the benefits.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-06-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what national targets for housebuilding are expected to be reflected in Local Plans.

Brandon Lewis

This Government does not set national housing targets. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that Local Plans should meet the full, objectively assessed needs for housing in the housing market area, as far as is consistent with the policies set out in the Framework. As part of this, local authorities should identify, and update annually, a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years of housing against their housing requirements. Local authorities also have a duty to cooperate on strategic planning priorities such as providing the homes that are needed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent steps his Department has taken to help councils to house refugees.

Richard Harrington

Those who have been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection must qualify under local rules set by the relevant local authority and have sufficient priority under the local authority’s allocation scheme to be eligible for social housing, just as anyone else.

At the Spending Review the Government committed £129 million to assist with local authority costs over years 2-5 for those local authorities who are resettlling refugees under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme. This is unringfenced funding and it will be for local authorities to decide how to use the funding to support the refugees they resettle.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of brownfield land in the East Dorset District Council area has been redesignated as community land trust in the last five years.

Brandon Lewis

The Department does not hold information centrally on the amount or type of land held by community land trusts.

The Department’s annual Green Belt statistics monitor the amount of land designated as Green Belt in England and any changes to the designated area since the previous year. The statistics record the change by local planning authority.

Of the local planning authorities for which information was requested, the following have made changes to the Green Belt in the last five years:

East Dorset reduced the area of designated Green Belt in 2014-15 by 160 hectares to 16,720 hectares, a reduction of 1 per cent; and

Purbeck increased the area of designated Green Belt in 2012-13 by 460 hectares to 8,200 hectares, an increase of 6 per cent.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will introduce a nationwide disabled Vehicle Excise Duty parking exemption list to ensure that disabled people are not required to apply to each local authority before being able to use their car parks.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Government has no plans to establish a nationwide disabled Vehicle Excise Duty parking exemption list for off-street car parking. It is for local authorities to comply with equalities legislation when providing a service, including off-street parking.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 17 December 2015 to Question 19679, how much land in East Dorset District Council area is designated as green belt.

Gavin Barwell

Figures for the amount of land designated as Green Belt in each local authority area as at 31 March 2016 are included in Annex Table 1 of the department’s Green Belt Statistics 2015/16, published 8 September 2016. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-green-belt-statistics-for-england-2015-to-2016.

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