Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Name	Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Legislature	Parliament of the United Kingdom
Type	Select committee
Founded	2015
Jurisdiction	United Kingdom
Chamber	House of Commons

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons tasked with examining matters relating to local authorities, housing policy, and spatial planning across the United Kingdom. It conducts inquiries, takes evidence from ministers and external witnesses, and produces reports that inform debates in the House of Commons, influence ministers in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and shape interactions with devolved administrations such as the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive. The committee’s work intersects with statutory frameworks like the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Housing Act 1988, and the Localism Act 2011.

History

Created in the aftermath of committee reconfigurations following the 2015 United Kingdom general election, the committee succeeded earlier departmental scrutiny bodies and built on precedents set by the Public Accounts Committee, the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, and the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee. Its establishment reflected political priorities articulated during the 2015 Conservative Party leadership election and the policy agenda of successive Secretaries of State including Sajid Javid, Robert Jenrick, and Michael Gove. Major national events such as the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum and the response to the COVID-19 pandemic shaped the committee’s inquiries into resilience, housing supply, and adult social care funding. Over time, its remit evolved alongside legislative changes from the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to the proposed reforms in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023.

Membership and Structure

Membership comprises backbench MPs from multiple parties, mirroring party proportions in the House of Commons and nominated under rules administered by the Select Committee on Liaison. Chairs have included MPs with experience on the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee or the Transport Select Committee, reflecting cross-cutting policy expertise. The committee is supported by staff drawn from the Parliamentary Digital Service and departmental clerks who liaise with officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (predecessor to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities). It routinely summons senior officials such as permanent secretaries, chief planners, and chairs of bodies like the Homes England board and the National Infrastructure Commission. The committee operates through sessions in Committee Room 14 and engages with external stakeholders including the Local Government Association, the Royal Town Planning Institute, and the Shelter (charity).

Responsibilities and Powers

The committee exercises powers typical of House of Commons select committees: summoning witnesses, requesting documents, conducting site visits, and publishing reports that may prompt ministerial responses within 60 days. It scrutinises spending and performance related to local government grants, council housing programmes administered by Homes England, and statutory duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. The committee examines interactions between national planning policy such as the National Planning Policy Framework and local plan-making by councils like Manchester City Council and Bristol City Council. It can influence secondary legislation through reports on statutory instruments and challenge decisions by bodies including the Planning Inspectorate and the Housing Ombudsman.

Key Inquiries and Reports

Notable inquiries have focused on housing supply, homelessness, council finance, planning reform, and building safety. Reports scrutinising the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire examined regulatory failures linked to the Building Regulations 2010 and engaged stakeholders such as the Grenfell United campaign and the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety (Hackitt Review). Other high-profile reports addressed the impacts of welfare reforms like the Universal Credit, the effectiveness of starter homes policies championed under George Osborne’s Treasury, and barriers to brownfield development involving agencies such as Homes England and the Environment Agency. International comparisons in reports invoked models from Singapore, Germany, and the Netherlands to evaluate affordable housing strategies.

Impact on Policy and Legislation

The committee’s recommendations have informed government responses, amendments to bills in the House of Commons, and executive guidance. Its scrutiny contributed to revisions in the National Planning Policy Framework and influenced funding allocations in Spending Reviews debated in the Treasury. Evidence and recommendations have led to statutory consultations and have been cited in debates by ministers including James Brokenshire and Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP. While select committees cannot enact laws, their reports have shaped implementation of measures within the Social Housing White Paper and influenced the direction of the Levelling Up agenda promoted by the UK government.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques of the committee include allegations of partisan selection of inquiry topics, limited enforcement power, and perceived overlap with other bodies such as the Public Accounts Committee and the Housing Ombudsman. Some stakeholders have argued that the committee’s recommendations are insufficiently implemented by ministers in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and that follow-up is inconsistent, echoing concerns raised by the National Audit Office. Controversy has arisen when inquiries intersected with planning decisions involving major developers like Bellway plc, Persimmon plc, and Taylor Wimpey, prompting accusations of industry capture or political interference. Civil society groups including Crisis (charity) and the National Housing Federation have occasionally criticised the committee for perceived lack of urgency on homelessness and social housing waiting lists.

Category:Select Committees of the House of Commons