HL Deb 23 July 1982 vol 433 cc1082-4

11.30 a.m.

Lord Wynne-Jones

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 steps they propose to take to protect the architectural heritage of the central area of the Thames within a 3-mile radius of the Palace of Westminster.

The Earl of Avon

My Lords, it is the responsibility of local planning authorities in the first instance to make plans, adopt policies and prepare design briefs which ensure that important sites receive the attention due to them. Local planning authorities also have the power to determine which parts of their area are of special architectural or historic importance and to designate them as conservation areas.

Lord Wynne-Jones

My Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his Answer, partial and unsatisfactory as it is. Can the noble Earl say whether it is the intention of the Government, not separate individual local authorities, to favour some overall plan which covers various local authorities and deals with the area mentioned in my Question?

The Earl of Avon

My Lords, we of course covered some of this ground in this House only 13 hours ago. There are already 120 separate conservation areas within three miles of Parliament which are designed to protect the best of our architectural heritage. One of the factors we must bear in mind is that to spread resources more thinly by blanket coverage would lessen considerably the value of conservation areas generally. The Government are determined to see that the proper architectural heritage of our country is kept.

Lord Elwyn-Jones

My Lords, has the Secretary of State power to call in planning applications in areas of great importance from the heritage and general amenity point of view?

The Earl of Avon

Yes, my Lords, indeed he has.

Lord Elwyn-Jones

My Lords, why is it not more frequently done in the case of the Thames, which is rapidly being turned into a kind of culvert with great buildings piling up on each side of it?

The Earl of Avon

My Lords, I am grateful for the noble and learned Lord's point. I only wish that he had been here last night to hear just how many times the public inquiry provision had been used.

Lord Beaumont of Whitley

My Lords, will the Government consider how their reaction to this particular suggestion can be brought into line with their determination last night to take through the special development order? If you are going to bring in special development orders on sites of this nature in this area, should you not also consider carefully the possibility of a whole defence of the whole area?

The Earl of Avon

My Lords, as I said last night, Vauxhall Cross is a special instance and this is by way of a first time case—the first time for a specific property of this nature in London. Therefore, we shall see how that one goes. On the noble Lord's sequence of questions, I think without reopening the debate of last night I cannot go much further.

Lord Kilmarnock

My Lords, can the noble Earl tell the House whether the Government accept in principle the idea put forward last night by the noble Lord, Lord Duncan-Sandys, for a special commission to consider the whole Thamesside area?

The Earl of Avon

Yes, my Lords. As I said to my noble friend last night, we will indeed consider the suggestion he put forward.