§ 14. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether, before accepting the appeal against both the judgment of his own inspector and 1138 the wishes of the Leyton Borough Council in respect of premises in High Road, Leytonstone, he sent a representative to see the heavy traffic in that thorough fare, and, in particular, the number of motor car show-and-sales rooms already existing in the High Road;and what account he took of the traffic aspects of the matter.
§ Mr. RipponThe premises affected by the appeal were visited by the inspector who held the inquiry and his report dealt with the amount of traffic using the High Road and the number of garages and car sales premises in the vicinity. No further inspection was made by an officer of the Ministry before the appeal was decided. The Ministry of Transport was consulted and agreed that dismissal of the appeal would not be justified on traffic grounds alone.
§ Mr. SorensenDoes not the Parliamentary Secretary appreciate that, although it is perfectly true, as he says, that the inspector saw the premises and the vicinity for himself, his recommendation was rejected by the Minister? In these circumstances, would it not have been better for the Minister either to go himself or to send somebody to see the congestion in that part of Leyton, with the result that he might have come to a different conclusion?
§ Mr. RipponVery full evidence was give at the inquiry. The point at issue was that the premises were already used as a shop. Therefore, this did not seem an unreasonable proposal.