Written questions by McMurdock.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025 and paragraph N2 of his Department's document entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, published on 16 December 2025, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost of nature-friendly features per dwelling.

The anticipated cost of incorporating nature friendly features per dwelling is small. Swift bricks, for example, cost around £25-£40 each.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, whether he considered the precedent of local government reorganisation in the 1970s on cancelling elections.

As set out in my letter to council leaders, previous governments have postponed local elections in areas contemplating and undergoing local government reorganisation to allow councils to focus their time and energy on the process. For example, between 2019-2022, the previous government postponed elections in Buckinghamshire, Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, and Weymouth and Portland. We have not however looked to examples of local government reorganisation from the 1970s or Northern Ireland in relation to the potential postponement of local elections as we are committed to the process and indicative timetable that was published in July. This sees elections to new councils in May 2027 and those councils going live in April 2028. This is a complex process, and we will take decisions based on the evidence provided.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, whether he considered early local elections in areas undergoing reorganisation.

As set out in my letter to council leaders, previous governments have postponed local elections in areas contemplating and undergoing local government reorganisation to allow councils to focus their time and energy on the process. For example, between 2019-2022, the previous government postponed elections in Buckinghamshire, Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, and Weymouth and Portland. We have not however looked to examples of local government reorganisation from the 1970s or Northern Ireland in relation to the potential postponement of local elections as we are committed to the process and indicative timetable that was published in July. This sees elections to new councils in May 2027 and those councils going live in April 2028. This is a complex process, and we will take decisions based on the evidence provided.

Communities and Local Government, with refence to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, Official Report col 1132, what discussions his Department has had with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England on the viability of preparing new ward boundaries for the 2028 local elections in reorganised council areas.

As stated in the previous answer to Questions UIN 59361 and UIN 77939, my department is liaising closely with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (the Commission) so that they are involved at the appropriate time to ensure fair electoral arrangements for all new councils. Once Ministers have reached a decision on which proposal, if any, to implement, then electoral arrangements will be included in the structural changes order that establishes any new councils. These will be built using a mixture of existing wards, divisions or, in some cases, parishes. The Government expects to work closely with the relevant councils and the Commission to ensure these arrangements are fit for purpose for the first elections, anticipated to be in May 2027, and have regard to the Commission’s criteria. The Commission then expects to carry out an electoral review of all newly established councils after their first elections and before their subsequent elections.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, whether he plans to consider Greater Essex’s 5-council model.

The consultation on four final proposals submitted by councils in Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock, including a proposal for a five-unitary council model, closed on 11 January 2026. The Government will now assess these four proposals against the criteria set out in the invitation and will decide, subject to parliamentary approval, which, if any, proposal is to be implemented, with or without modification. In taking these decisions, we will have regard to all the representations received, including those from the consultation, and all other relevant information available.

Communities and Local Government, with refence to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, col 1130, whether his Department plan to ask Parliament to vote on cancelling any May 2026 local elections before a Statutory Instrument is made.

The Secretary of State has adopted a locally led approach. He has asked councils to set out their views on the postponement of their local elections and is minded to only make an Order to postpone elections for those councils who raise capacity concerns. Parliament has given the Secretary of State the power to make an Order to change the year of council elections. The Secretary of State will decide whether to make such an Order having regard to any views councils provide, together with any other representations received. There are Parliamentary procedures for MPs and Peers to debate and vote on an Order. This is in line with previous local election postponements.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Rent Repayment Orders on housing conditions in the private rented sector.

No such estimate can currently be made. My Department is in the process of implementing a new mandatory collection of private rented sector enforcement data from local housing authorities, which will include the number of Rent Repayment Orders (RROs) applied for by the council, the value of Universal Credit/Housing Benefit recovered following a rent repayment order, and the number of tenants supported in making an application. My Department has made no specific assessment of the potential impact of Rent Repayment Orders on housing conditions in the private rented sector.

Communities and Local Government, what support his Department provides to local authorities to develop skills required for effective digital engagement in planning.

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents. My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme. Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future. The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the value of early‑stage 3D modelling in helping residents understand the potential height, scale and form of proposed developments.

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents. My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme. Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future. The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of digital‑led consultation tools in increasing participation across communities; and what steps he is taking to support councils to adopt those tools.

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents. My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme. Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future. The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of natural language processing and AI‑assisted tagging to reduce consultation processing times for local planning authorities.

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents. My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme. Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future. The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to provide (a) guidance and (b) funding to help local authorities introduce interactive digital surveys and mapping tools to improve engagement with local plan consultations.

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents. My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme. Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future. The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, whether his Department considered recent local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland when deciding on local government reorganisation in England.

As set out in my letter to council leaders, previous governments have postponed local elections in areas contemplating and undergoing local government reorganisation to allow councils to focus their time and energy on the process. For example, between 2019-2022, the previous government postponed elections in Buckinghamshire, Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, and Weymouth and Portland. We have not however looked to examples of local government reorganisation from the 1970s or Northern Ireland in relation to the potential postponement of local elections as we are committed to the process and indicative timetable that was published in July. This sees elections to new councils in May 2027 and those councils going live in April 2028. This is a complex process, and we will take decisions based on the evidence provided.

Communities and Local Government, what the scope and timetable are for the Law Commission’s project on the management of housing estates, and how homeowners will be consulted.

The government expect the Law Commission to report on this project in 2028. Further information about the project, including its terms of reference, can be found on the Law Commission's website here.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025, whether housebuilding targets for Thurrock will be impacted.

The government has no plans to amend the Standard Method for assessing housing needs introduced in December 2024.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Health and Safety Executive's correspondence entitled Potential risks from transfer slabs in buildings, published on 19 December 2025, when he expects the independent research commissioned by the Building Safety Regulator to be completed and published.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is working with industry experts and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to better understand the extent of the risk, and how the risk can be identified and managed proportionately in existing buildings.BSR is currently working with sector partners to establish what further guidance is needed to help building owners manage this risk. We will be providing further advice to building owners on this.BSR commissioned independent research in late 2024 relating to transfer slabs. This research is ongoing, and we will publish the outcomes of this research in due course. We will provide further updates via regular BSR bulletins and BSR campaign websites.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025, whether his reforms will support council house construction in (a) Thurrock and (b) Basildon.

The government is taking action to support all local authorities, including those in Thurrock and Basildon, to increase their levels of council housing construction.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is taking steps to reduce private estate management arrangements on new housing developments.

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to make it mandatory for local authorities to adopt certain shared facilities on new housing estates.

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025, whether the proposals include maximum density guidance for new homes around train stations.

The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation sets out the details of the proposed approach to land around stations, including those that are defined as well-connected and those that are within and outside of settlements. It can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.