§ Miss Quennellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new towns have had to revise their development plans in the light of revised population trends in the last five years; which ones; and by how much.
§ Mr. Graham PageThe target population for a new town's development is in the normal case determined mainly as the contribution which it should make to meeting wider regional needs. These needs are measured not merely by projected trends of total population, but by more complex assessments taking account of projected formation of households by people already born. In some cases the target is set by more local considerations. In either event the master plan must also take account of projections of natural increase in the population of the town itself.
The following new towns have had master plans or revised master plans approved in the past five years:
403W
Present population Total population for which plan provides Former Current Aycliffe 22,000 20,000 45,000 Basildon 79,000 106,000 140,000 Corby 50,000 55,000 75/80,000 Northampton 131,000 — 230,000 Redditch 36,000 — 90,000 Runcorn 34,000 — 100,000 Stevenage 64,000 80,000 105,000 Washington 24,000 — 80,000 I intend that the forward building programmes of new towns should be regularly reviewed taking account of all relevant factors.
In new towns which have completed their planned population intake, and have been transferred to the Commission for the New Towns, the local planning authority is responsible in the normal way for producing a development plan. Revised town maps are about to be approved for Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead and Welwyn Garden City. Crawley is one of the growth areas mentioned in the Strategic Plan for the South East and the proposals in this report are being studied by West Sussex County Council
RELEVANT CONCESSIONS NOW IN FORCE EFFECT OF NEW CONCESSIONS 1. LIGHT GOODS VEHICLES (Used solely for professional or similar purposes): Add FILM OPERATIONS STAFF. Total exemption except for driving hours limits. 2. (a) LIVE ANIMALS; (b) NEWLY HARVESTED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE; (c) FOOD (Christmas, New Year and Easter); MEAT PIES, SAUSAGES, COOKED AND CURED MEATS (Spring and Summer): (a) Delete LIVE ANIMALS. (b) Widen applicability of concession for HARVESTED PRODUCE by replacing "solely" by "wholly or mainly" and "immediately after the harvesting of that produce" by "during the period of harvesting of that produce". Daily duty and spreadover 14 hours; weekly duty 66 hours; 4 days off in 4 weeks. (c) Widen definition of FOOD to include all drinks and extend MEAT PRODUCTS concession to cover FOOD as above. (d)Add AGRICULTURAL LIME, SEEDS AND FERTILISERS. (e) Add TIMBER IN SCOTLAND. 3. MILK: Add weekly duty 66 hours. 4 days off in 4 weeks. 4. NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES (Work done between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. and then between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.): Delete limitations on times at which work must be done to qualify for concession. Daily duty 10 hours; daily spreadover 14 hours; minimum daily rest period 10 hours. 5. LIVE ANIMALS: Reduce minimum daily rest period to 10 hours. As in 2 above. NEW CONCESSIONS 6. ABNORMAL INDIVISIBLE LOADS: Daily spreadover 14 hours; weekly duty 66 hours; 4 days off in 4 weeks. None. 7. ASPHALT AND COATED TARMACADAM: Daily spreadover 14 hours. None. 8. FURNITURE REMOVAL: Daily duty and spreadover 14 hours. None.