§ 25. Mr. A. J. Irvineasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether, in view of his policy that the onus is upon the local planning authority to prove that proposed development is undesirable, he will give instructions that in future the local planning authority will be required to open the case at any inquiries into refusal of planning permission or conditional grant thereof.
§ Mr. SandysI am not aware that difficulties have arisen.
§ Mr. IrvineIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the grounds of refusal of permission given by local planning authorities are often—not surprisingly—inadequately expressed and that that places a great difficulty in the way of an appellant appealing against a refusal? Would it not be advantageous to an appellant and fairer, therefore, for the local planning authority to state its case at the beginning instead of at a later stage of the inquiry?
§ Mr. SandysI am very ready to consider any proposals for improving this procedure, but, so far as I am aware, I have not had any general demand for a change of that kind.