§ Mr. Lordasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement concerning the report of a research study into planning constraints on small firms in rural areas commissioned by his Department and recently published.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThis study was carried out by Aston university's joint unit for research in the urban environment. The purpose was to investigate whether the planning system was constituting an unnecessary burden on the establishment and growth of small businesses in rural areas. The report of the study suggests that, in general. planning controls have not constituted a severe constraint on the development of small businesses, and that DOE circular 22/80 has encouraged a more sympathetic approach by local authorities towards them without opening the way to a lot of undesirable developments. The report does, however, recommend a number of measures which could be taken by local planning authorities, Government Departments and others to speed up the handling of planning applications and ensure that planning policies make proper provision for small firms. My Department is currently considering those recommendations.