HC Deb 06 May 1959 vol 605 cc385-6
41. Mr. Kimball

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is satisfied that all the conditions attached to the sale of buildings on the dispersed housing sites of Sandtoff Aerodrome in the Isle of Axholm have been properly carried out; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Neave

Three of the buildings were bought by the landowner. Others were sold for scrap. For these, the conditions of sale required the buyer to demolish the building to the ground floor and to clear the site. This was for the most part done. A number of buildings were, however, only partly demolished.

Mr. Kimball

Will my hon. Friend ensure that these conditions are immediately enforced on the remainder of the buyers? Will he also find out who was responsible for seeing that the conditions of sale were carried out after the sale in the first instance? Will he also satisfy himself that no member of his Department has been dilatory or inefficient in dealing with the problem?

Mr. Neave

I have inquired into this case. The difficulty about future action is that the land has now been derequisitioned. Before handing it back, we did press the buyers of the buildings to carry out the conditions of sale, and this was largely done. We were reluctant to take legal action at the time because it would have delayed the derequisitioning, and we cannot do so now.

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