Mr. Jacksonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report, in respect of the planning appeal about land to the west of Didcot, the subject of correspondence between the hon. Member for Wantage and the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Macfarlane) the date on which the appeal was heard by the inspector, 482W the date on which the inspector's report was delivered and the date of the announcement of the decision with regard to the appeal, showing in each case the number of days taken by and between each stage and the reasons for the delay in determining this appeal.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneA joint inquiry into these four appeals and objections to the Didcot local plan took place between 23 June and 2 August 1983. The inspector's report on the appeals was received in the Department on 16 May 1984 and the decision was issued on 2 August 1984. As I informed my hon. Friend on 9 May at column876, work on the writing of the report was deferred while the inspector held another inquiry. Bearing this in mind and the fact that the scale of the proposed development had major implications for the future growth of Didcot, I am satisfied that there was no undue delay in reaching the decision.