Matthew Pennycook MP

Matthew Pennycook meeting with Paul, Matt and Suzanne from the Buy our Swan campaign in Charlton House.

Good to sit down with Paul, Matt and Suzanne from the Buy our Swan campaign to discuss next steps.

Matthew Pennycook MP speaking to Year 6 pupils from Cherry Orchard Primary School in Charlton.

Lovely visit to Cherry Orchard Primary School in Charlton this morning to catch up with teachers and support staff and see their brilliant work to ensure every child can achieve and thrive.

Great to talk to pupils and special thanks to Year 6 for a brilliant Q&A!

Five rounds in and we go again.

Vote Labour 🌹

Lots of warmth for Angeliki Stogia on the doorsteps of Gorton and Denton today.

For unity not division.

Vote Labour to stop Reform.

Everyone deserves a decent, safe, secure and affordable home in which to live.

Today, our new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme opens for bids.

At least 60% of homes delivered through the programme will be for Social Rent.

This Labour government succeeded where the Tories failed – legislating to abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and transform private renting.

Now Reform want to repeal our Renters’ Rights Act and deny tenants the security, rights and protections they’ve secured.

Disgraceful.

Out in force in East Greenwich this afternoon 🌹🌹🌹

Thanks to all residents who took the time to speak with us 🗣️

Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.

Further detail in this Written Ministerial Statement 👇🏻

questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...

Areas for producing spatial development strategies

Our manifesto committed us to introducing effective new mechanisms for cross-boundary strategic planning.

Today, we’re launching a consultation on the geography for sub-regional Spatial Development Strategies 👇🏻

www.gov.uk/government/c...

The Renters’ Rights Act, the beginning of the end for the feudal leasehold system, the next generation of new towns, and a bold overhaul of our planning system.

We’ve achieved so much over the past 19 months thanks to Keir’s leadership. Our focus must be on finishing the job.

Lovely to see so much support for the Save Our Swan campaign when out knocking on doors this morning in Charlton.

If you’re in a position to do so, please consider donating. All donations returned if the target not hit👇🏻
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/whiteswana...

Three Rivers District Council: Local Plan Holding Direction letter

Three Rivers’ emerging local plan proposes to meet only 56% of identified local housing need.

As I have little confidence it is satisfactory and capable of being found sound, I’ve issued a holding direction while I consider whether to take further action 👇🏻

www.gov.uk/government/p...

Establishing a Development Corporation in Greater Cambridge

This government is determined to unleash ambitious and high-quality sustainable growth in Greater Cambridge.

We have today launched a consultation on proposals to establish a centrally-led Urban Development Corporation for the area 👇🏻

www.gov.uk/government/c...

While it is important that we take the time to ensure that reforms are watertight, I appreciate fully the need to act as quickly as we can to provide relief for leaseholders across the country, particularly those with leases approaching 80 years.

Once the valuation rates have been set and the flaws in question have been fixed, we will commence the 2024 Act’s enfranchisement provisions.

The specific flaws in the 2024 Act must be fixed through primary legislation. For obvious reasons, my firm preference is to rectify them in the final Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

That the previous government passed the 2024 Act knowing these flaws existed is deeply regrettable. It is also why this government is balancing speed with care as we enact reforms and why we've asked the Select Committee to subject our Bill to enhanced pre-legislative scrutiny.

These include a loophole which means that the 2024 Act goes far beyond the intended reforms to valuation and that undermines the integrity of the amended scheme.

Sadly, even with the valuation rates established, we will not be able to commence the relevant enfranchisement provisions in the 2024 Act until we have rectified a small number of specific flaws that were contained in it.

As such, we are now preparing a consultation to establish what valuation rates should be used to calculate the enfranchisement premium. We will launch that consultation in the coming months. The rates will ultimately be set by the Secretary of State in secondary legislation.

Following a robust defence from the government, in October last year the High Court comprehensively dismissed challenges brought to the 2024 Act by a group of claimants who were owners of freehold and other reversionary interests of dwellings.

The Act's revised valuation process will remove the requirement for marriage value to be paid; cap the treatment of ground rents in the valuation calculation at 0.1% of the freehold value; and allow government to prescribe the rates used to calculate the enfranchisement premium.

Among the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 which was passed in the dying days of the last Parliament is a new method for calculating the price of a statutory lease extension or freehold acquisition, known as the valuation process.

In the wake of the publication of our draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill on Tuesday, lots of existing leaseholders have been in touch seeking clarity as to when the government plans to make it cheaper and easier to extend a lease or buy a freehold 🧵

London’s high land prices need ‘market adjustment’, says housing minister Matthew Pennycook says far-reaching reform is needed to ‘get more volume out of the system’ and deliver more homes

Planning reform alone won’t solve the housing crisis.

To ramp up housing supply, we also need to diversify the housing market, transform the housebuilding industry and use the full power of the state to drive development outcomes 👇🏻

www.ft.com/content/9dae...

Further evidence that the reforms we've made to the housing and planning system over the past 18 months are bearing fruit.

This Labour government is acting to deliver high and sustainable rates of housebuilding in the years ahead.

Lots in our draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill for existing leaseholders including the abolition of leasehold forfeiture, the capping of ground rent at £250 per year and a more effective commonhold conversion mechanism.

Flagship accelerator unlocks 125,000 homes and takes on new sites Phase 2 of the New Homes Accelerator has been launched today.

We’re expanding our flagship New Homes Accelerator to unlock and accelerate development on more housing developments across the country facing delays.
www.gov.uk/government/n...

This Labour government is ending the feudal leasehold system and easing cost of living pressures for millions of leaseholders across the country.

We promised in our manifesto to “tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rent charges”.

We’re honouring that commitment today by legislating to cap ground rents at £250 per year, changing to peppercorn after 40 years.