§ Mr. PicklesTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the level of empty(a) housing association and (b) council housing was in each local authority in England in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2001; and if he will make a 422W statement on the Government's plans to reduce the level of empty housing association and council housing. [79677]
§ Mr. McNultyThe information requested has been placed in the Library. The table presents data showing the vacancy rates of local authority and Registered Social Landlord stock (respectively) in each local authority in England at 1 April 1997 and 2001. Note that council stock owned by an authority, which is outside their local authority area, is not included in these figures.
Day to day management, including the letting of empty properties, is a matter for individual housing associations and councils. We expect those with high levels of vacant housing to set challenging targets for reductions through improved management performance or action to improve or dispose of unpopular stock.
§ Ms AthertonTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what evidence his Department has collated on the use of repeated applications for planning permission by companies and individuals in a specified location; [78998]
(2) what consideration has been given to the setting of time limits between applications for planning permission by companies and individuals in a specified location. [78999]
§ Mr. McNultyLocal planning authorities already have the power to decline to determine a planning application which is the same or substantially the same as an application which, within the previous two years, the Secretary of State has called in and refused, or has dismissed on appeal.
As announced in our Statement "Sustainable Communities: Delivering through planning" we intend to extend this power so that a local planning authority can also decline to determine an application which is the same or substantially the same as an application which has either been refused by the authority within the last two years and there has been no appeal to the Secretary of State, or has not been finally determined. The two year time limit was chosen since this is the same as that which applies to a local planning authority's existing powers to decline to determine repeated applications.
The Planning Green Paper said that some developers use repeated applications to wear down opposition to undesirable development. This is damaging to people's confidence in the planning process and inefficient. Of those who responded to our proposal to extend local planning authorities' powers to decline to determine repeat applications, 97 per cent. were in favour.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many units of affordable housing have been built in the Portsmouth South constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [78967]
§ Mr. McNultyThe only information available is for the local authority area of Portsmouth and for the last four years. The numbers of houses built by registered social landlords in Portsmouth were 279 in 1998–99, 37 in 1999–00, 95 in 2000–01 and 151 in 2001–02. There were no houses built by the local authority during this period.