§ 14. Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take action to reinforce the ability of local authorities to control the planning environment in their own areas.
§ Mr. TraceyIn general, local authorities have, under the planning Acts, adequate powers to control and influence development where it is necessary in the public interest.
§ Mr. AdleyWould that were so. Is my hon. Friend aware that both Christchurch and Wimbourne district councils in my constituency are near despair at their inability to control the planning environment in their own areas and that the Department's presumption in favour of the big developers, often outsiders, whose protestations of the public interest are greeted with hollow laughter in my constituency, is strongly opposed? Is he aware that in the south-east of the county the face of Dorset is being changed, quite contrary to the wishes of the people there and of the elected councils?
§ Mr. TraceyWe are very well aware of the strong feelings of my hon. Friend. I seek to reassure him by telling him that only one in 25 planning applications is the subject of an appeal, and that, of appeals only about one third are successful. In determining appeals the Secretary of State is required, as is the planning authority at application stage, to have regard to the development plan, together with other material considerations.