§ 24. Mr. TAYLORasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that the Admiralty have recently acquired land west of the boundary of the burgh of Clydebank, and that it is reported that it is their intention to erect oil tanks on the ground so acquired; has it been brought to his notice that this portion of land is shown on the town plans of the burgh of Clydebank, the town plans of the county council of Dumbartonshire, and the joint town plant of the joint committee of Glasgow, Clydebank, and the counties of Dumbarton and Renfrew as being set apart for dwelling-houses, and that the use of it for any other purpose is a violation of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Colonel Sir James Craig)The provision of this oil fuel in- 1866 stallation is an urgent national necessity, and the Board of Admiralty, after prolonged consideration and investigation of local sites for oil fuel tanks, decided upon the area referred to, this being the site to which there were the fewest objections. At the time when this site was decided upon it was not known that it was intended to include it in a town planning area, and immediately knowledge of this fact came to the Admiralty, the matter was taken up with the Scottish Board of Health, i.e., in May last, and is now being considered by them. To give effect to the scheme as laid out only means a slight modification in the alignment of two proposed roads. The scheme is only in draft and not yet in operation; it is, therefore, hardly correct to suggest that the Town Planning Act has been violated by the Admiralty who, although legally not subject to the Act, are always anxious to meet its intentions in every possible way.
§ Mr. TAYLORIs my hon. Friend aware that these joint plans have been in existence since 1913, and have been "held up" by the Scottish Board of Health and by the old Local Government Board, so that a complete plan could be got for the Clyde Valley; and if he is aware that if the Admiralty go on with this scheme against the town planning that has been put forward it will have a very prejudicial effect on town planning in Scotland?
§ Sir J. CRAIGWell, Sir, I am personally familiar with the details of this particular case and everything possible is being done to secure a site which will cause the least possible friction in this neighbourhood, but there are great difficulties in the way. The hon. Member knows that we are not contravening in any way the town planning scheme that has been promulgated by the districts. But I am having further inquiry made to see if some slight alteration of the plans cannot be make.