§ 16. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Town and Country Planning whether he proposes to adopt the recommendations of the Abercrombie Report in regard to the safeguarding of the scenic and landscape beauty of the Martley and Tenbury Wells rural areas in the county of Worcester.
§ Mr. DaltonYes, Sir, and I understand that the Worcestershire County Council share my view.
§ Mr. NabarroDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise the dreadful devastation that would follow opencast coal mining in this particularly beautiful area; and, in view of the impossibility of restoring the wooded and well-timbered hill-slopes and landscape, will not he consider refusing permission to the Ministry of Fuel and Power to continue these opencast mining projects.
§ Mr. DaltonWithout reference to the wider questions of opencast coal in general, my information is that no borings 1827 have yet been made in this area and there is no firm proposal as yet to work opencast in this area. If such a proposal were to be made, it would have to be considered in the light of the West Midland plan, to which the hon. Member has referred.
§ Mr. NabarroMay I ask the Minister, further, whether he will refer to the 13 series of drawings which have already been issued by the Ministry of Fuel and Power to all the local authorities concerned in this area, which clearly set out the opencast borings which are projected?
§ Mr. DaltonI did not deny that. I said that they had not been made and, therefore, no firm proposal was before me for opencast workings in this area.