§ The following provisions relating to the compulsory purchase of land for the provision of parking places under section eighty-one of the principal Act, that is to say, subsection (11) of that section and subsections (8) and (9) of section thirteen of the Road Traffic and Roads Improvement Act, 1960, shall have effect as it the references therein to the said section eighty-one included references to paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of the said section thirteen (which enables a local authority to let land for the provision of parking places).—[Mr. Hay.]
§ Brought up, and read the First time.
§ 3.40 p.m.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport (Mr. John Hay)I beg to move, That the Clause be read a Second time.
This new Clause has been tabled as a result of a brief discussion in the Standing Committee when my hon. Friend the Member for St. Albans (Mr. Goodhew) moved a new Clause which, basically, would have had a similar effect.
By the Clause we seek to give to local authorities the power to acquire, by compulsory purchase, land which they do not intend to use themselves for the purpose of providing car parks. In a number of places throughout the country we have found that such compulsory purchase powers would be an extremely useful instrument for local authorities who wish to provide, or attend to the provision of, car parking facilities, but who are unable themselves to undertake that 237 type of development. Such local authorities would have in mind that after the land had been compulsorily purchased they would allow others to provide what we call mixed development, that is to say, shops, offices, or other types of development in addition to a car park.
My hon. Friend the Member for St. Albans raised a very important point and I am delighted to have been able to meet the suggestion he made. The Clause is fairly straightforward in its technical details and I assure the Committee that it is intended to (fulfil the purpose which I have mentioned.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Clause read a Second time and added to the Bill.
§ Bill reported, with an Amendment; as amended (in the Standing Committee and on recommittal), considered.