HL Deb 23 February 1981 vol 417 cc890-1

2.46 p.m.

Baroness Sharples

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what encouragement is being given to local authority planning committees to help those wishing to set up small businesses in rural areas.

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, my department's recent circular on Development Control—Policy and Practice gives local planning committees clear policy guidance always to grant permission for small businesses, particularly in rural areas, unless there are specific and convincing reasons for refusing it. The circular also asks them to make sure that their development plan policies provide them with the opportunities to encourage small-scale enterprise.

Baroness Sharples

My Lords, I wish to thank my noble friend for that encouraging reply. Would he agree that sometimes country-dwellers do not always understand that small businesses which may comprise of lathes, et cetera, are considerably less offensive than, say, a pig farm?

Lord Skelmersdale

Yes, my Lords, I would agree with that. The only convincing reasons that come readily to mind are intrusion into open countryside, noise, smells, safety, health, or excessive traffic operation. Very often these small rural industries are not affected by any of these reasons.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the chief obstacle to the establishment of small industries in rural areas, where they are badly needed, is not the planning authorities but generally the economic policies of Her Majesty's Government, and specifically the continuing high interest rates which make it difficult for small industries to think of branching out anywhere?

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, high interest rates are common to the whole economy, and I do not think to direct them specifically to small industries does us any good in this connection.

Lord Oram

My Lords, is there not a somewhat strange contrast between this Question and the preceding one on the Order Paper? The noble Lord, Lord Gainford, seems to want local authorities to provide fewer services, whereas the noble Baroness, Lady Sharples, wants them to provide more. Would the noble Lord be prepared to arbitrate in this philosophical dispute between his two noble friends?

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, so far as I am aware there was no collusion between my two noble friends. If there was, I am sure I would have been able to get to the bottom of it.

Earl Grey

My Lords, would the noble Lord agree that there is a large number of farm buildings not in use, and could not small businesses be encouraged to utilise these buildings for workshops, et cetera?

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, I am indeed aware that there are many farm buildings, but unfortunately they are often in isolated sites and without services such as sewerage, electricity, and telephones, which would need to be brought to them before they could be so used. The other problem is that very often they are with inadequate access, and the fire brigade, particularly, is concerned in the planning application for them. However, having said all that, Yes, they can be used and frequently are used for such purposes.

Lord Mackie of Benshie

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that there are Government agencies which actually give loans at lower rates of interest to small businesses?

Lord Skelmersdale

Yes, my Lords. My noble friend Lord Long dealt at length with this subject about a fortnight ago, and I did not think it was necessary to go into his answers now.

Baroness Sharples

My Lords, could my noble friend tell us whether the time for appeals against adverse decisions by planning authorities has been speeded up?

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, I am afraid I have got no information on that subject. I shall write to the noble Baroness.