Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
	File:Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities logo.svg
Department overview
Formed	May 2006
Jurisdiction	Government of the United Kingdom
Headquarters	2 Marsham Street, London, England and; i9 Railway Drive, Wolverhampton, England
Annual budget	£28.1 billion (current) & £3.5 billion (capital) for 2011–12
Minister responsible	Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities;
Department executive	Jeremy Pocklington, Permanent Secretary;
Website	www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-levelling-up-housing-and-communities

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), formerly the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG),^[2] is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for housing, communities, local government in England and the levelling up policy. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001. The department shares its headquarters building, at 2 Marsham Street in London, with the Home Office. It was renamed to add Housing to its title and changed to a ministry in January 2018, and later reverted to a government department in the 2021 reshuffle.

There are corresponding departments in the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, responsible for communities and local government in their respective jurisdictions.

Ministers

The DLUHC's ministers are as follows:^[3]

Minister	Title	Portfolio
Rt Hon. Michael Gove MP	Secretary of State	Strategic oversight of the Department’s business; Cross-cutting responsibility for Levelling Up.
Lucy Frazer MP	Minister of State for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities ^[4]	Local government policy and finance, including Office for Local Government (Oflog); Building Safety - remediation and regulation regimes; Climate change, net zero and energy efficiency (building regulations); Grenfell recovery and rehousing; Grenfell public inquiry; Minister for London.
Dehenna Davison MP	Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Levelling Up	Local growth funding design and simplification; Local growth funding delivery - UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), Levelling Up Fund (LUF), Community Ownership Fund (COF), etc; Devolution deals and county deals; Planning casework^[5]
Lee Rowley MP	Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Housing	Overarching responsibility for housing strategy, including supply and home ownership; Investment Zones; Housing funds, including Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) and other housing / land and infrastructure funds; Homes England stewardship; Planning - reform and casework; Leasehold and freehold; Corporate matters^[6]
Rt Hon. Andrew Stephenson MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Communities	Homelessness and rough sleeping; Refugee housing - Ukraine and Afghanistan; Social housing; Supporting Families and Changing Futures;Private Rented Sector; Elections and registration.
Baroness Scott of Bybrook	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Communities	Integration, communities and faith, including Hong Kong British National (Overseas); RED local resilience and emergencies, including winter preparedness; COVID-19 inquiry; Planning casework; Lords work for the department^[7]
Felicity Buchan MP	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Communities

The Permanent Secretary is Jeremy Pocklington who took up his post on 30 March 2020.

The position of Parliamentary Private Secretary is vacant following the resignation of incumbent Duncan Baker.

History

DLUHC was formed in July 2001 as part of the Cabinet Office with the title Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), headed by the then Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott. In May 2002 the ODPM became a separate department after absorbing the local government and regions portfolios from the defunct Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. The ODPM was criticised in some quarters for adding little value and the Environmental Audit Committee had reported negatively on the department in the past.^[8]^[9] During the 5 May 2006 reshuffle of Tony Blair's government, it was renamed and Ruth Kelly succeeded David Miliband to become the first Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). In January 2018, as part of Theresa May's Cabinet reshuffle, the department was renamed the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). In September 2021, Boris Johnson renamed the department yet again, calling it the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), being more powers outside of just England to manage funds across the United Kingdom.^[10]

On 20 February 2021, it was announced as part of the government's levelling up policy, that DLUHC would be the first government department to have a headquarters based outside of London. Five hundred posts, including those of senior civil servants, will be moving to Wolverhampton by 2025.^[11]

On 23 February 2021, the then Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick, announced he was hopeful that staff would be working in Wolverhampton by the summer of 2021. He also announced that they were considering building a new office development in or around the city centre to house the new headquarters. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, suggested it should be within walking distance of local newspaper Express & Star, where he previously did work experience.^[12]

As DLUHC looks set to relocate some 500 members of staff to Wolverhampton, Robert Jenrick officially opened its new Wolverhampton offices at the recently completed i9 office development on 10 September 2021. At the opening of the new office development the Secretary of State was joined by the leader of City of Wolverhampton Council Ian Brookfield and the West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street.^[13]

On July 6 2022, most of the Ministers responsible for the Department resigned after the Chris Pincher Scandal. The Secretary of State, Michael Gove also left the department on the same day, after being sacked for disloyalty by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

Michael Gove was reappointed as the Secretary of State by Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak on October 25 2022.

Secretaries of State

David Miliband 11 May 2005 – 5 May 2006
Ruth Kelly 5 May 2006 – 27 June 2007
Hazel Blears 27 June 2007 – 5 June 2009
John Denham 5 June 2009 – 11 May 2010
Eric Pickles 12 May 2010 – 11 May 2015
Greg Clark 11 May 2015 – 14 July 2016
Sajid Javid 13 July 2016 – 30 April 2018
James Brokenshire 30 April 2018 – 24 July 2019
Robert Jenrick 24 July 2019 – 15 September 2021
Michael Gove 15 September 2021 – 6 July 2022
Greg Clark 7 July 2022 – 6 September 2022
Simon Clarke 6 September 2022 – 25 October 2022
Michael Gove 25 October 2022 - Current

Responsibilities

The department is responsible for UK Government policy in the following areas, mainly in England:^[14]

Building regulations
Community cohesion
Community resilience (i.e. flood, natural disaster or severe weather preparedness and recovery) ^[15]
Housing
Local government
Planning
Race equality
Urban regeneration (including The Thames Gateway)

Levelling Up

The Levelling Up Taskforce was formed in September 2021 headed by former Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane.^[16] The Levelling Up policy was not initially defined in detail,^[17] but would include:^[18]^[19]

Investing in towns, cities, and rural and coastal areas
Giving those areas more control of how investment is made
Levelling up skills using apprenticeships and a £3 billion National Skills Fund
Helping the farming and fishing industries
Creating up to 10 freeports to help deprived communities

Bodies sponsored by DLUHC

Executive agencies

The department also was previously responsible for two other agencies. On 18 July 2011 Ordnance Survey was transferred to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills^[20] and on 28 February 2013 the Fire Service College was sold to Capita.^[21]

Non-departmental public bodies

In January 2007, Ruth Kelly announced proposals to bring together the delivery functions of the Housing Corporation, English Partnerships and parts of the then Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government to form a new unified housing and regeneration agency, the Homes and Communities Agency (renamed Homes England in 2018). Initially announced as Communities England, it became operational in December 2008. This also includes the Academy for Sustainable Communities. 2008 was also the year that the department along with the Local Government Association produced the National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy ^[22] which led to the creation of nine Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) with devolved funding of £185m to drive sector-led improvement for councils.

Devolution

Its main counterparts in the devolved nations of the UK are as follows.

Scotland

Northern Ireland

Executive Office (civil resilience, community cohesion, race relations)
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (local government, planning)
Department of Finance (building regulations)
Department of Health (fire services)
Department for Communities (housing, urban regeneration)

Wales

Welsh Government Department for Local Government and Public Services

References

^ Budget 2011 (PDF). London: HM Treasury. 2011. p. 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
^ Hansard 22 January 2018 column 19
^ "Our ministers". GOV.UK. Department for Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
^ "Ministerial appointments: 25 October 2022".
^ "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
^ "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
^ "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
^ "Environmental report slams ODPM over sustainable code". Building.(subscription required)
^ Knight, Sam (5 May 2006). "Prescott loses his dream home the megadepartment". The Times. London.
^ Coates, Sam (18 September 2021). "Confirmed: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will become the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. As we reported was under discussion on Thursday". Twitter. Twitter. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
^ Madeley, Peter. "First government department HQ outside London to be based in Wolverhampton". www.expressandstar.com.
^ Madeley, Peter (23 February 2021). "Hundreds of civil servants set to be stationed in new purpose-built office". Express & Star. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
^ "From Whitehall to Wolverhampton: Government branches out with city move". Express & Star. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
^ "Government ministers and responsibilities". GOV.UK.
^ "Resilience in society: infrastructure, communities and businesses". GOV.UK.
^ Cordon, Gavin (18 September 2021). "Michael Gove heads rebranded 'Department for Levelling Up'". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
^ "Levelling up". Centre for Cities. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
^ "What is levelling up and how is it going?". BBC News. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
^ "The Levelling Up Agenda". House of Commons Library. UK Parliament. 11 June 2021. CDP 2021/0086. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
^ "Ordnance Survey becomes part of Department for Business Innovation and Skills". Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
^ "Fire Service College sold to Capita". BBC News. 28 February 2013.
^ "National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy". Archived from the original on 27 January 2008.

External links

[1] Budget 2011 (PDF). London: HM Treasury. 2011. p. 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2014.

[2] Hansard 22 January 2018 column 19

[3] "Our ministers". GOV.UK. Department for Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 1 August 2019.

[4] "Ministerial appointments: 25 October 2022".

[5] "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2022.

[6] "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2022.

[7] "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2022.

[8] "Environmental report slams ODPM over sustainable code". Building.(subscription required)

[9] Knight, Sam (5 May 2006). "Prescott loses his dream home the megadepartment". The Times. London.

[10] Coates, Sam (18 September 2021). "Confirmed: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will become the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. As we reported was under discussion on Thursday". Twitter. Twitter. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.

[11] Madeley, Peter. "First government department HQ outside London to be based in Wolverhampton". www.expressandstar.com.

[12] Madeley, Peter (23 February 2021). "Hundreds of civil servants set to be stationed in new purpose-built office". Express & Star. Retrieved 20 September 2021.

[13] "From Whitehall to Wolverhampton: Government branches out with city move". Express & Star. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.

[14] "Government ministers and responsibilities". GOV.UK.

[15] "Resilience in society: infrastructure, communities and businesses". GOV.UK.

[standard-20210918-16] Cordon, Gavin (18 September 2021). "Michael Gove heads rebranded 'Department for Levelling Up'". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 13 October 2021.

[centreforcities-20210617-17] "Levelling up". Centre for Cities. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.

[bbc-20210511-18] "What is levelling up and how is it going?". BBC News. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.

[hocl-20210611-19] "The Levelling Up Agenda". House of Commons Library. UK Parliament. 11 June 2021. CDP 2021/0086. Retrieved 13 October 2021.

[20] "Ordnance Survey becomes part of Department for Business Innovation and Skills". Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.

[21] "Fire Service College sold to Capita". BBC News. 28 February 2013.

[22] "National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy". Archived from the original on 27 January 2008.

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v t e Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Headquarters: 2 Marsham Street Ashdown House
Ministers	Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Minister of State for Local Government and Building Safety Minister of State for Housing Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Rough Sleeping Minister of State for Refugees
Executive agencies	Planning Inspectorate Queen Elizabeth II Centre
Non-departmental public bodies	Building Regulations Advisory Committee Ebbsfleet Development Corporation Homes England Housing Ombudsman Leasehold Advisory Service Regulator of Social Housing Valuation Tribunal Service Valuation Tribunal for England
Other bodies	Architects Registration Board Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation
Category

v t e Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom
Ministerial	Advocate General for Scotland Attorney General's Office Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Cabinet Office Defence Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Education Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Health and Social Care Home International Trade Justice Leader of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Lords Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Northern Ireland Scotland Office Transport Treasury UK Export Finance Wales Office Work and Pensions
Non-ministerial	Charity Commission for England and Wales Competition and Markets Authority Crown Prosecution Service Food Standards Agency Forestry Commission Government Actuary's Department Government Legal Department Land Registry Revenue and Customs National Crime Agency National Savings and Investments Ofsted Office of Gas and Electricity Markets Ofqual Office of Rail and Road Serious Fraud Office Supreme Court National Archives UK Statistics Authority Ofwat
Category Commons

v t e Town and country planning in the United Kingdom
Legislation and policy	Town and Country Planning Act 1990 General Permitted Development Order Highways Act 1980 Localism Act 2011 National Planning Policy Framework Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
Applications and Appeals	Planning permission in the United Kingdom Outline Planning Permission Grampian condition Nationally significant infrastructure project
Institutions	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Planning Inspectorate Local planning authority Royal Town Planning Institute Town and Country Planning Association
Local development framework	Core Strategy Local Plan Neighbourhood Forum