Glenigan in Parliament

Glenigan data is widely used in government and quoted in Parliamentary Questions in the House of Commons on numerous occasions throughout the year.    

Discussions:

10 June 2014: Nick Boles 10 June 2014: Eric Pickles 27 February 2014: Kris Hopkins 16 January 2014: Nick Boles 8 January 2014: Roberta Blackman-Woods 10 December 2013: Nick Boles The debates on planning, housing and the efforts to revive the UK construction industry have all been informed by Glenigan information with the following high-profile MP’s quoting Glenigan: Brandon Lewis (Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Department for Communities and Local Government) Kris Hopkins (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government) Eric Pickles (Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government) Hilary Benn (Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government) Roberta Blackman-Woods (Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government)

Glenigan supplies information to:

• Department of Communities & Local Government
• Department for Business Innovation & Skills
• The Cabinet Office
• Homes & Communities Agency
• The Planning Portal
• Ordnance Survey
• The Coal Authority

The following extracts from Hansard demonstrate how Glenigan is relied upon as the definitive source of construction information to the highest level.

14 July 2014

House of Commons - Written Answer

The following is a transcript from Hansard

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) sites and (b) homes where building is yet to start which have full planning permission. [203668]

Nick Boles [holding answer 7 July 2014]: In my answers to the right hon. Member of 10 December 2013, Official Report, column 158W and 16 January 2014, Official Report, column 611W, I outlined the myths being propagated on land-banking and observed how these were disproved by hard, empirical evidence from experts. I also noted the inaccurate claims being punted around by HM Opposition, remarked how their policy proposals would actually reduce house building; and explained the steps that the coalition Government has taken to help kick-start stalled sites, from development finance, to section 106 reform, to increasing the incentive for developers to start on site before permission expires. The latest figures from Glenigan estimate that the number of dwellings with planning permission that are classified as “on hold or shelved” has steadily fallen thanks to the action we are taking. Conversely, the number of dwellings with planning permission that are moving towards a start has steadily increased, both due to the action we have taken to tackle stalled sites, but also due to the increase in the number of homes being granted planning permission. Indeed, a total of 216,000 permissions were given for new homes in 2013-14.

Exert from Hansard

 

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10 June 2014

House of Commons - Written Ministerial Statement The following is a transcript from Housebuilding: Delivering on the Government’s long-term economic plan The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Rt Hon Eric Pickles): I would like to update hon. Members on the actions that the Coalition Government has put in place on housing and planning, as part of our long-term economic plan. We have implemented a range of measures to get Britain building again, to fix the broken housing market and to help hard-working people get the home they want. Key achievements Under the Labour Government, house building fell to its lowest peacetime levels since the 1920s. They pledged an ‘end to boom and bust’, but presided over a housing crash and a Great Recession. However, now:

• Planning permission was granted for 216,000 new homes in England in 2013-14 (source: DCLG analysis of Glenigan data);
• New orders in residential construction have risen to their highest level since 2007 (source: Office for National Statistics);
• Housing starts in England are at their highest since 2007 and we have already delivered over 445,000 new homes since April 2010 (source: DCLG);
• The number of first-time buyers is at its highest since 2007 (source: Halifax);
• Repossessions are at their lowest since 2007 (source: Council for Mortgage Lenders) the number of new mortgage arrears is at the lowest since the Bank of England’s data series began in 2007.
• New home registrations rose by 30% in 2013 in England, the highest since 2007; and are up 60% in London, the highest for over two decades ; this is in contrast to Wales which has a Labour administration, where new home registrations are falling (source: NHBC).
• More council housing was started in London last year than in the 13 years combined of the last Labour Government (source: DCLG); and
• The number of empty homes in England have fallen to a 10-year low, and the number of long-term vacant properties has fallen by around a third since 2009 (source: DCLG).

Exert from Housebuilding: Delivering on the Government’s long-term economic plan

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27 Febraury 2014

House of Commons - Written Answer The following is a transcript from Hansard 27 Feb 2014 : Column 445W

Emma Reynolds question: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many homes have been completed under the Get Britain Building scheme; [185480]

(2) how many affordable homes have been completed under the Get Britain Building scheme; [185482]

(3) how many jobs the Get Britain Building scheme has created. [185481]

Kris Hopkins [holding answer 3 February 2014]: The Get Britain Building programme was set up to unlock homes on stalled sites with planning permission through access to development finance. The scheme is on track and on course to deliver on its targets.

As of September 2013, there were 11,165 housing starts under the programme (of which 811 were affordable housing) so far, and 715 housing completions so far (of which 47 were affordable housing). Other projects are under contract, there will be more starts in due course and all the homes are due to be completed by 2015.

The starts on site reported for 2012-13 exclude a further 522 affordable units which will count towards the overall target, but which are also in receipt of funding from an affordable housing programme and thus are reported under that programme to prevent double-counting. This takes the starts to 1,333 affordable homes so far.

In addition, there may be sales which are made available at below market price or rents but which do not meet the definition for affordable housing. The completions may also include houses that are subsequently sold to purchasers through the Help to Buy scheme.

That said, a sense of pragmatism is needed on affordable housing requirements. Unrealistic Section 106 agreements signed during the housing boom before the housing bust have been one of the key reasons for stalled sites, resulting in no development, no housing, no regeneration and no community benefits.

27 Feb 2014 : Column 446W

We do not centrally hold data on the number of jobs created by the programme. However, we estimate that the construction of each new home supports is one to two jobs.

This is part of a wider set of initiatives to help kick-start stalled sites, as outlined in the answer of 7 November 2013, Official Report, column 345-47W. Figures from Glenigan show the overall number of stalled sites is consistently falling, as explained in the answer of 24 January 2014, Official Report, column 330W.

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16 January 2014

House of Commons - Written Answer

The following is a transcript from Hansard

16 Jan 2014 : Column 611W

Hilary Benn question: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his most recent estimate is of the number of residential units with planning permission; and how many of those (a) have started on site and (b) are yet to start on site. [181540]

Nick Boles: In my answers of 9 July 2013, Official Report, column 189W; 7 November 2013, Official Report, column 345-347W and 10 December 2013, Official Report, column 158W, I gave comprehensive replies pointing out the inaccurate claims being propagated by HM Opposition that there were 400,000 (or more) homes with planning permission which were not being built because of 'land banking'. I explained how these suggestions were not backed up by the factual evidence or independent studies.

I note that the right hon. Member has tried to resurrect this dead canard, further to his comments in the debate of 8 January 2014, Official Report, column 334.

The latest figures from Glenigan estimate that the number of dwellings with planning permission that are classified as 'on hold or shelved' has fallen from 59,100 in October 2013, to 57,100 in December 2013 to 55,800 in January 2014. This reflects an ongoing trend, assisted by the comprehensive package of Government measures to get stalled sites moving (many of which have been opposed by HM Opposition).

As of January 2014, there were 265,000 units with planning permission which had started on site and a further 202,900 which were progressing towards a start.

Exert from Hansard

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8 January 2014

Debate - Adjournment and General MPs debate planning reform and local plans The following is a transcript from Hansard 8 January 2014: Column 96WH

Roberta Blackman-Woods: Recent data from Glenigan show that although approvals for new housing are improving, they are not yet at the levels recorded for 2007, and are not high enough to deliver the output of about 200,000 houses per year that most sensible commentators suggest we need to meet demand, so we must address the housing shortage.

The Government are right—I want to emphasise this—to allow housing need to be objectively measured locally as outlined in the NPPF, but as the National Housing Federation has stated in its briefing for today’s debate, more could be done to clarify the methodology used. Indeed, it appeared to back Labour’s call that we need a common methodology to be applied across all local authorities to ensure a consistency of approach.

Exert from Hansard

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10 December 2013

House of Commons - Written Answer Hilary Benn - Housing: Construction

The following is a transcript from Hansard

10 December 2013: Column 158W

Hilary Benn question: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2013, Official Report, column 345W, on housing construction, what his most recent estimate is of the number of units with planning permission; and how many of those (a) have started on site and (b) are yet to start on site. [178315]

Nick Boles [holding answer 9 December 2013]: According to the latest figures from Glenigan, as at 2 December 2013, there were an estimated 523,700 units with planning permission. Of these:

267,500 (51%) had started on site,

184,400 were progressing towards a start,

57,100 were classed as on hold or shelved, and

the remainder had either been sold, were due to be sold or else the information was not available.

This 57,100 figure for stalled/on hold sites is a fall from the 59,100 figure that I gave in my earlier answer (for October 2013), and illustrates how the measures we are taking to help kick-start and unlock stalled sites are working.

These figures also further demolish the myth propagated by Her Majesty's Opposition that there are 400,000 homes with planning permission not being built because of ‘land banking’.

Exert from Hansard

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