HC Deb 17 May 1972 vol 837 cc513-4
18. Mr. Evelyn King

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he can now estimate the area of land in England for which planning consent for the building of houses has been given but on which no building has commenced: and whether this figure has increased in the last 12 months.

36. Mr. David Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the number of dwellings for which planning consent has been given over the last two and five years respectively upon which building operations have not yet been commenced.

Mr. Graham Page

Complete information in the form requested is not available. Most of the authorities in the South-East outside greater London have worked together in analysing outstanding planning permissions in their areas and the housing figures; these suggest that permissions are currently outstanding for over 150,000 dwellings. I cannot break this total down to relate it to permissions given in any particular period, but the total has increased over the last two years.

Mr. King

I congratulate my hon. Friend on the enormous amount he is doing in this matter. Would not his task be greatly eased if he could induce local authorities to supply more reliable, more accurate and more up-to-date statistics? Is not this becoming more and more essential?

Mr. Page

At the end of 1970 we encouraged local planning authorities, especially in pressure areas, to take measures to monitor the balance between house building rates and the grant of planning permission. I have not felt it necessary yet to ask for returns but I take to heart what my hon. Friend has said.

Mr. Frank Allaun

Is not the withholding of land which has just been described largely due to the greed for realisation of enhanced prices? Would not the best way to stop this be by public ownership of the existing use value of the land—that is to say, at its agricultural value?

Mr. Page

The delay in developing when planning permission has been obtained may be for several reasons—for the purchase of other land to get a viable estate, for example.

Mr. Allaun

It may be speculation.

Mr. Page

It may be speculation in some cases. Local authorities have discretion to limit planning permission to a period of less than five years if there is good planning reason for doing so.