§ 11. Mr. SNELLasked the Minister of Health whether, in respect of the appeal against the decision of the London County Council to zone the Tewkesbury Lodge Estate in their South-Eastern town-planning scheme as a public open space, he will state on what grounds he has directed the Council to issue an interim development order to permit this land being developed as a building estate, seeing that he had previously in writing informed the Council that their decision to zone the land as a public open space was correct?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINBefore allowing this development to proceed, I afforded the London County Council an opportunity of entering into an agreement for the acquisition of the land on terms to be settled, if necessary, by arbitration. The County Council did not accept the opportunity, and, as the land was ripe for building development, and no claim for compensation could be made in respect of the prevention of its development pending the preparation and approval of the town-planning scheme, which is likely to occupy a long time, I did not feel justified in refusing to allow the development to proceed.