HC Deb 20 February 1980 vol 979 cc250-1W
Mr. Wellbeloved

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his policy for consulting interested parties before issuing an article 4 direction under the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1977.

Mr. Fox

Except where an article 4 direction is made to come into immediate effect, I would expect local planning authorities to consider the necessity and desirability of consulting interested parties before making the direction.

Mr. Wellbeloved

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if it remains his policy to limit the use of article 4 directions under the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1977 to identifiable parcels of land within areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Mr. Fox

I would expect an article 4 direction to identify clearly the land to which it relates, whether or not within an area of outstanding natural beauty, and to limit the extent of that land to the minimum necessary for the purposes of the direction.