§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the local societies which objected to proposed development at Olton Mere, near Solihull, were consulted before a date was fixed for a public inquiry into the proposed development; and what parties are normally consulted before the dates of public inquiries are fixed.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT (LORD SANDFORD)My Lords, my right honourable friend did not consult the local societies. The parties normally consulted about the date for an inquiry are the applicants and the local authority.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, had not the planning authority in this case received informal non-statutory objections, and were they not aware that this objection existed on the part of the local society? In such cases is it not customary to consult the local society on the date of the hearing?
§ LORD SANDFORDYes, indeed, my Lords. The objection had been put in some months earlier, but it is not the normal practice to extend the statutory obligation beyond the parties that I have mentioned. Of course, the statutory obligation is to do no more than to give 400 notice of the date of a local inquiry at least six weeks in advance.
§ LORD KENNETMy Lords, would not the noble Lord agree that although it may not be desirable to extend the statutory duty to consult on the date for an inquiry, yet it is not only desirable but even no more than civilised de facto informally to consult local societies about these hearings which affect them very much?
§ LORD SANDFORDMy Lords, I would agree that it is desirable, and it is often the practice to go beyond the statutory obligations in respect of the advertising of planning applications, but I am sure the noble Lord will agree that by far the greatest weight of criticism about planning procedures generally is about the delays that they involve, and it is for that reason that my right honourable friend is not prepared to go further than the current practice.
§ LORD BURNTWOODMy Lords, is the noble Lord saying that in point of fact there was Press publicity as to the date and place of this inquiry, which I believe is in accordance with the practice prescribed by the Government last year? If so, can the noble Lord let me know in due course in what newspapers this information was published?
§ LORD SANDFORDMy Lords, the answer to the second part of the noble Lord's question is, Yes, I certainly will. In regard to the first part of the question, both the date of the inquiry and the original application were advertised in the normal way.
§ LORD SEGALMy Lords, is it not most unfortunate that local societies should feel aggrieved if they find that the Minister is keeping rigidly to the statutory obligation?
§ LORD SANDFORDMy Lords, I have just explained that the Minister is not sticking rigidly to his statutory obligation. He has followed his usual practice of going beyond his statutory obligation to the applicant and to the local planning authority by consulting them about the date of the inquiry.