Monthly Report for May 2007
Below is a summary of my work in Parliament and in Southampton for the month of May. Click here to read previous reports.
If you'd like to know more about any of the work I've been doing, or if you think there is another issue you think I should be acting on, you can always contact my office.
Work in Parliament
Housing
A real debate is now developing over how to improve the quality and distribution of affordable housing in Southampton. This month I secured time in Parliament to debate how to better regulate the supply of rented and owner-occupied housing in the city. Currently a property owner can convert a family home into an HMO without any consultation with the local community. There is growing recognition that, left unchecked, the current system will lead to more and more family homes being taken out of the owner-occupied sector of the housing market, making it more difficult for young families to get on the property ladder. And as the number of HMOs in the city increase, there is a parallel need to ensure that HMO landlords remain properly accountable both to their tenants and to the local community.
This month I secured time in Parliament for a 10 minute rule Bill to amend the Use Classes Order (1987) to require property owners to apply for planning permission when changing the use of their property from a family home to a HMO. Although a 10 minute rule bill is in itself unlikely to be voted on, it is one step in further raising the profile of the importance of better regulating Britain’s housing stock.
Climate Change Bill Committee
I have been appointed to the Joint House of Commons / House of Lords Committee examining and recommending improvements to the draft Climate Change bill. This will involve an intensive number of meetings and hearings between now and the end of June and a report shortly thereafter. We are currently looking at targets and how they might best be enforced.
You can now let me know what you think about key parts of the Bill by filling in my online survey.
Marine Bill
The Marine Bill White Paper has now been published. I took part in a debate in the House on the bill and its implications for marine planning. The bill will introduce a single planning regime for marine zones, as well as establishing marine ‘national parks’ and protected no catch areas to secure and enhance marine biodiversity. This will have a particular impact on the Solent area, since it contains a large number of potentially conflicting uses. The planning regime will, among other things, introduce a ‘one project – one permit’ regime which will potentially be beneficial to planning processes involving the port. It should also make planning for offshore renewable energy more reliable and straight forward.
Questions
I have asked parliamentary questions this month on community bus transport and legal aid tendering.
In Southampton
Environmental Rock
This year was the 5th Anniversary of ‘Environmental Rock’ at the Hobbit in Bevois Valley, and for the first time local MPs were given the opportunity to attend. During the day I was very happy to receive a petition from Friends of the Earth in support of the Climate Change Bill. I distributed my own survey to stall visitors asking people asking what they would like to see in the Bill. I also tried out an ‘energy saving bike’ built by the Global Action Plan group to physically demonstrate the amount of energy consumed in powering different household appliances.
Over 650 attended the event in total- a fantastic figure which shows a real public appetite for action on environmental issues. As both an awareness raising and campaigning activity is was a great success and I look forward to hopefully attending next year.
Education
This month I held meetings regarding the setting up of additional after school activities at Oaklands School, and on progress on the Learning Futures proposals for the west of the city. I also attended the finals of the National Youth Parliament Competition.
Portswood Health Centre
I continue to meet regularly with representatives from Sainsburys over the progress of their application to build a new health centre as part of their new development in Portswood. The development application has now been ‘called in’ by the governing regional body over the number of car-parking spaces allocated in the plans. While this is clearly an issue that needs to be got right, I will continue to lobby to make sure a new Health Centre remains central to any modified plan.
Surgeries
I ran Red Rose Surgeries in Coxford and Portswood