HC Deb 06 March 1978 vol 945 cc513-5W
Mr. Litterick

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report an index of land values for each of the areas designated under the terms of the Inner Urban Areas Bill, using as its base the average value per acre at the date when the White Paper, "Policy for the Inner Cities", Command Paper No. 6845, was published.

Mr. Shore

It is not practicable to maintain a valid and reliable index of land values covering developed and undeveloped land. In my statement to the House on the Second Reading of the Inner Urban Areas Bill I said that I intended to designate the districts of the partnership and programme authorities as well as the districts of a limited number of other authorities with serious problems of urban decay.—[Vol. 943, c. 1694.]

Mr. Litterick

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what acreage of land in each of the inner city areas so far designated under the terms of the Inner Urban Areas Bill is in public ownership; and how much is in private ownership.

Mr. Shore

This information is not available.

Mr. Litterick

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total acreage of land covered by each of the designated areas defined so far under the terms of the Inner Urban Areas Bill.

Mr. Shore

I intend that the districts of certain local authorities will be designated for powers under the Inner Urban Areas Bill when it becomes law. Some of the powers of the Bill will be limited to special areas within those districts. I have announced that I shall be designating the districts for which there are partnership arrangements and where the local authority has been invited to prepare an inner area programme, and that I envisage also designating the districts of a limited number of other authorities where there are serious problems of urban decay. The areas of the districts of the partnership and programme authorities are as follows:

Acreage
Partnership Authorities
Newcastle 26,000
Gateshead 35,373
Manchester 27,720
Salford 23,942
Liverpool 27,819
Birmingham 65,289
Hackney 4,815
Islington 3,678
Lambeth 6,835
Greenwich 11,724
Lewisham 8,581
Newham 8,986
southwark 7,117
Tower Hamlets 4,994
Total 262,873

Programme Authorities
Hammersmith 3,996
Middlesborough 13,410
Wolverhampton 17,000
Leicester 18,141
Nottingham 18,364
Wirral 38,420
Bolton 35,155
Oldham 34,871
Sunderland 33,976
Bradford 91,444
North Tyneside 20,700
South Tyneside 15,711
Leeds 138,441
Sheffield 90,825
Kingston upon Hull 17,593
Total 588,047
Grand Total 850,920

Mr. Litterick

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the average value of an acre of land in the inner area of Birmingham now designated as a partnership area under the terms of the Inner Urban Areas Bill, in May 1977; and what is the average value now;

(2) what was the average value of an acre of land in May 1977 in the area of London dockland now designated as a partnership area under the terms of the Inner Urban Areas Bill; and what is the average value now;

(3) what was the average value of an acre of land in May 1977 in the inner area of Liverpool now designated as a partnership area under the terms of the Inner Urban Areas Bill; and what is the average value now;

(4) what was the average value of an acre of land in May 1977 in the inner area of Manchester/Salford now designated as a partnership area under the terms of the Inner Urban Areas Bill; and what is the average value now;

(5) what was the average value of an acre of land in May 1977 in the area of Lambeth now designated as a partnership area under the terms of the Inner Urban Areas Bin; and what is the average value now.

Mr. Shore

Land values depend on supply and demand in the market and what purchasers are prepared to pay for the intended use of a particular site at a given time. An average figure of value per acre of land, especially for a restricted area, would not be meaningful.