The Committee to welcome the MP and put questions
Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed the Member of Parliament for the Tiverton and Honiton Constituency, Neil Parish, to the meeting.
The following questions were put to the MP:
Local Authorities draw up Local Plans to control development. Common sense says that these should stay in force until replaced by an updated version. The Planning Inspectorate seems to have carte blanche to ignore these plans, particularly Settlement Limits, which means that sooner or later our much loved Devon villages will become towns. Would you please ask the Government to put the Planning Inspectorate back in its cage?
Mr Parish said that he considered that the Planning Inspector needed to recognise Local Plans and not overrule. He had written to the inspectorate to point out issues on previous occasions but had no powers to intervene. He asked Members to forward specific instances to him so that he could take them forward.
Does Mr Parish share concerns that there appears to be no way that action can be taken to ensure that Japanese knotweed is dealt with appropriately? Will he take this matter up with a minister?
The MP said that he was more than happy to take this matter up and that he would also make enquiries regarding ragwort.
Isthere a realistic prospect regarding the alternate quarry route at Longwood Lane, Burlescombe ever being developed, seeing that Aggregate Industries will not contribute because they feel they already pay enough tax and the LEP criteria is not satisfied? Also the present estimate from Devon County Council did not seem adequate given the improvements required and by the time anything happened would doubtless have increased, current £7m plus. Should we now cease to raise false hopes amongst the residents?
Mr Parish said that he had attended a meeting with the quarry management and that they had said that they would not contribute towards the road as they already paid taxes. He had asked to meet with the Swiss owners and was proposing a parliamentary debate regarding this. He had suggested a potential alternative route and was planning to meet with an officer from the County Surveyors Office to walk it. The quarry had a long life left and he didn’t know if he would get the road but he was ‘upping the temperature’.
Patients in Mid Devon have very long waiting times for cataract surgery. This is not cosmetic but vital surgery to ensure quality of life, enable people to work and prevent accidents. They may not be in pain but it has a huge impact on their lives, their independence and in the case of younger people their ability to carry out their job or business - particularly inhibiting their ability to drive in the winter months when daylight is short. What is the government doing to improve the situation? Can you press the Minister to address this as a priority?
Mr Parish said that he would contact the Clinical Commissioning Group to find out if this type of surgery could be carried out in Tiverton. He was hoping that the Royal Devon and Exeter takeover of services would help the situation. He would also take up the matter of the Urgent Care Centre not being Doctor led from the autumn.
The recently published report of the Chartered Institute of Housing warns that 350,000 social rented homes may be lost, thus making the housing crisis worse. Council and Housing Association tenants would suffer massive rent rises and new tenants, some of them vulnerable, could be denied the security of a permanent home. Communities will suffer as families are priced out of their neighbourhoods. The Housing and Planning Act is due to return to Parliament after the recess. Could you please request the Government to think again about what has been described as this "ill conceived, damaging divisive and unworkable legislation?"
The MP said that he was in favour of people owning their own homes but the situation with housing associations, removing rental accommodation from the market, was an expensive option. He considered that this needed to be looked at again and he would make enquiries regarding this.
Pay to Stay
Can you offer some opinion on this topic – specifically:
How are Local Authorities obtaining income information i.e. HMRC?
With changes to Cabinet and Prime Minister is the proposal destined for the dustbin?
Mr Parish said that he could see the argument for this happening but could also understand the complexities of operating the system. He offered to discuss this with the Housing Minister to get some clarity.
Right to Buy
The current level of discount, particularly in district councils similar to MDDC is not sustainable, replacement stock is not keeping up with loses.
What is your position and anticipated actions proposed to rectify the problem?
The MP offered to discuss this matter with the Housing Minister and to point out that with the discounts given it was not possible to replace the stock. He would ask that this be reviewed.
New houses, especially affordable ones, need to be affordable not only to rent or buy, but also to live in. Would you please ask the Government to update Building Regulations to compel builders to ensure all houses are as energy efficient as possible?
Mr Parish explained that MP’s were trying to get an amendment in regarding planning legislation which would mean that the energy saving would need to be recognised when building the house. He also said that most of the properties that he had officially opened for housing associations had good standards for energy efficiency and heat source options were very efficient. Currently rules regarding affordable homes were higher than on private sector applications.
The last district elections were held at the same time as the General Election. Does Mr Parish share my concern that combining these two elections had a negative effect on small parties and independents?
Mr Parish said that he believed the electorate preferred elections to take place on the same day and that the practicalities of asking people to vote on more occasions would not increase the turnout and it was possible that less people would vote if there were more days. There were also cost savings in running the elections together. With the current timing of elections it was unlikely that District and General elections would coincide very often.
I am pleased the PM is reviewing the proposals for Hinkley Point contract with EDF and the Chinese. If built the cost per KW of energy from this plant will be very high. Recent reports in the Times suggest that the cost per kW will be higher than renewables, given that the comparison was based on 2013 figures - since when renewable technology, particularly wind and solar has become more efficient, the cost per kW has reduced and there is now a realistic potential to store the energy generated from these sources. We have no answer to the costly and environmental problem of how to safely dispose of nuclear waste. What are the chances of Hinkley being ditched in favour of more renewable technologies?
The MP said that he considered that there would be a Nuclear Power Station at Hinkley in the future but not necessarily the planned one. He felt that renewable energies were needed but with a base load from nuclear power. He considered the EDF plant to be expensive and doubted that it could be delivered on time. His view was that it should be built by ourselves with our own money, but this would increase borrowing. He thought there would be a complete review which would include renewables and nuclear. He was very in favour of tidal energy.
Starter Homes
The principle appears to be an ‘off the cuff’ policy.
What do you think the process will do for those people who need ‘social rent’?
Mr Parish said that this would be part of the Affordable Homes Policy, for which there was little information as yet.
Rent Reductions
What are you intending, if anything, regarding the emergence of the government dictate to reduce social rent by 1% per annum for the next 4 years. This change in direction so rapidly after previously indicating that the rents should increase by 2 ½ plus inflation. The effect on this authority is some £4.0m in lost income which will have a detrimental effect upon repairs, maintenance and the opportunity to invest in new homes.
The MP said that he believed rents should be high enough to allow for properties to be kept in good well maintained condition. He would ask for this to be reviewed.
The best way to meet local housing needs is through a Community Land Trust. Would you please ask this Government to abandon the last Government’s ill-considered policy of selling Housing Association property and ensure proper funding of CLT’s into the future?
Mr Parish agreed and said that he would continue talking to Ministers regarding a review of the sale of housing association property.
Traffic problems in Cullompton. Lack of a relief road to take traffic away from the centre of Cullompton has contributed to its decline, causes frequent congestion and is stifling attempts to regenerate. Air quality is way below safe levels. The town has already grown exponentially, in the Local Plan 1,200 new houses are approved for the NE Development and 2,600 proposed for East Cullompton. There are now suggestions that a further 2,400 houses may be required in order to ensure that access to the M5 is improved and the Eastern Relief road is brought forward. This is totally unacceptable to local people.
In addition plans for traffic to be diverted from Willand Road through the NW Development to Swallow Way via Kingfisher Reach, is likely to be a disaster, the Kingfisher Reach section being totally unsuitable.
We need adequate infrastructure before there is more development - can something be done help us achieve this?
Mr Parish replied that there was a need to ensure that infrastructure was put in place upfront of development. He said that there were methods where certain amounts of money could be borrowed for this to happen. He appreciated that there were already problems with the roads in and around Cullompton and the M5 junction so these problems needed to be solved with the proposed development. Cullompton and Kentisbeare could not be expected to take all the development without infrastructure.
It is apparent that BT- presumably Open Reach inspired- is not providing the level and extent of broadband service suggested by the phrase "superfast broadband" in our rural areas, including Exmoor and the Blackdown Hills, even when specifically advertised and, where possible subscribed thereto. Whosoever is the ISP, the infrastructure of fibre and copper cables is provided by BT, and the responsibility for the service rests ultimately with BT. You have a long association with this problem and are aware of the huge disappointment and dissatisfaction at this state of affairs, compounded by the Government's rejection of a Blackdown Hills consortium bid promoting a different solution to that offered - or not, as the case may be- by BT.
What moves is the Government making to fully implement its declared policy of broadband for all as a public utility, to protect the interests of the rural community?
What efforts are being made by you good self and other SW MPs to pressurise BT as seemingly the only universal provider to overcome the apparent diffidence on the part of BT or to seek to foster alternative provision to satisfy local concern.
The MP said that he was as frustrated as everyone else by this and that a lot of money had been put in by councils and the government. The situation now was that the delivery for Devon and Somerset was out to tender and he understood that there were probably 3 -5 serious contenders. Time had been lost but there was now a chance to get more competition and contracts would be broken up into smaller delivery parcels, which was good news after having had such a vast contract. There was a need to get as much fibre optic cable out there as possible because though some Exmoor and Dartmoor radio systems were working they were not a total success. BT had to deliver where they had an existing contract. Mr Parish considered broadband to be 4th utility service and that it needed to be delivered.
It was AGREED that a Member Briefing be put in place with Kerry Denton of CDS so that all Members were kept up to date with this matter.
The Chairman thanked the MP for his attendance.