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Number of UK Construction/Property Development Policymakers
The governmental structure in the UK concerning policy-making for construction and property development is divided into four areas: The Minister of State for Housing and Planning; the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Communities and Local Government Committee; and Local Planning Authorities. In total, there are over 360 government officials and MPs that are involved in making construction and property development policies. Below is a breakdown of policymakers and their roles.
Summary
In 2012, the UK Parliament, through the Department of Communities and Local Government, released the National Planning Policy Framework which outlined the national policies for planning and property development. This policy gave Local Planning Authorities the ability to make decisions and policies on a local level regarding construction, planning and property development as long as they were in accordance with the Planning Act of 2008. Oversight of Local Planning Authorities falls under the scope of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Minister of State for Housing and Planning is the head of the MHCLG which is governed by the Communities and Local Government Committee.
The Minister of State for Housing and Planning/ Communities and Local Government Committee
The current Minister of State for Housing and Planning is The Rt Hon Gavin Barwell. His responsibilities include:
Housing supply policy
Home ownership policy
Planning policy
Planning casework oversight
Building regulations
Neighborhood planning
The role of the Communities and Local Government Committee is to monitor the policy and administration of the MHCLG. There are 11 MPs that serve on the Committee:
Mr Clive Betts
Mike Amesbury
Bob Blackman
Helen Hayes
Kevin Hollinrake
Andrew Lewer
Fiona Onasanya
Jo Platt
Mr Mark Prisk
Mary Robinson
Liz Twist
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The MHCLG is responsible for building regulations, planning systems and house building. There are 18 members of the Board including 6 MPs and 12 Directors. The MPs that serve on the board are:
-Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
-Dominic Raab MP, Minister of State for Housing
-Jake Berry MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, (Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth)
-Heather Wheeler MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
-Rishi Sunak MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
-Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister for Faith
Local Planning Authorities
Local Planning Authorities deal with the day to day management of development throughout the UK. The National Planning Policy Framework has given individual LPAs the authority to make decisions and policy for their local areas as long as the policies comply with the Planning Act of 2008. They do not have any authority regarding national infrastructure projects which would fall under the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Each city, town and sometimes neighborhood has its own Local Planning Authority. Some are separate local departments while others operate within the City Council. There are over 330 different Local Planning Authorities in the UK.
Conclusion
There are 18 MPs that are directly involved in making policy regarding construction and property development in the UK. In addition, there are 12 directors that serve on the board of The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Finally, there are over 330 Local Planning Authorities throughout the UK that have policy-making authority on a local level.