§ Rear-Admiral Morgan-Gilesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will arrange for planning committees to send copies of planning applications to parish councils for information two weeks before planning committees are due to meet to consider them.
§ Mr. Graham PageI accept that parish councils that wish to have notice of planning applications relating to land within the parish should be entitled to do so. Legislation would be needed—and is not appropriate for any current Bill—to make this a statutory requirement. In the meantime, I shall commend, in a circular to local planning authorities on the wider question of local publicity for planning applications, the extension of the voluntary arrangements in operation in many parts of the country whereby some local planning authorities do give parish councils an opportunity to see and comment on applications, within a strict time limit.