HC Deb 23 July 1975 vol 896 cc541-2
16. Mr. Lipton

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he is now considering for the development of Piccadilly Circus.

Mr. Crosland

There are no schemes for the redevelopment of Piccadilly Circus before me at present. The Greater London Council and the Westminster City Council have reached an advanced stage in their consideration of the plans by Trust Houses Forte Ltd. for the redevelopment and rehabilitation of the Criterion site. The Westminster City Council is also considering a scheme recently submitted by Land Securities for limited redevelopment of part of the Monico site.

Mr. Lipton

For how much longer must we put up with this tatty slum in the heart of the Metropolis, which many people regard as the centre of the world? When will the Minister do something about removing this disgusting eyesore, which gets worse with the passage of time? It is no good his telling us about all these bodies which are busy. They have been busy for years without result.

Mr. Crosland

I hope that the Government will not be added to this list of "busybodies". I do not entirely share my hon. Friend's approach. Like many hon. Members, I have been a consistent opponent of the grandiose schemes for the comprehensive redevelopment of Piccadilly Circus that have been put forward from the days of Mr. Jack Cotton onwards. I take the opposite view, that we should gradually improve the Piccadilly Circus centre over a period of rehabilitation, within the scale that Piccadilly Circus possesses, and turn our backs on all kinds of gigantic improvements.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

is the Minister saying that if the scheme goes ahead, public or private money, and men and materials, will be used, with a possible adverse effect on the tatty slums not in the Piccadilly area but in Brixton and Newham? We do not want our housing programme delayed because of grandiose schemes for Piccadilly. I would rather have—I am sure the electorate would too—tatty slums in Piccadilly than tatty slums in working-class areas.

Mr. Crosland

I have a lot of sympathy with what my hon. Friend says, but I do not think that the two matters are connected. Both of the boroughs that my hon. Friend mentioned have acute slum problems and both are free to go ahead with their building programmes, with no Government restriction laid on them. The development of the Criterion site—I take it that my hon. Friend is referring to that site—would not involve one penny of public funds.