DERELICT LAND RECLAMATION (Hansard, 7 February 1991)

§ Baroness Blatch

The resources available in 1991/92 for derelict land reclamation under the derelict land programme will be £87.918 million. This represents an increase of 23 per cent. on this year's provision.

Derelict land reclamation has an important part to play in safeguarding and improving the environment through the return of previously-developed land to beneficial use. Derelict land grant has made a substantial contribution to this process. Since 1979 it has funded the reclamation of more than 14,450 hectares of derelict land and we expect that schemes producing an additional 1,250 hectares of reclaimed land will be completed in this financial year. The resources available for 1991/92 will allow faster progress to be made in recycling land and will, at the same time, allow schemes for environmental improvement and clearing up badly contaminated land to be carried forward. They will be enough to support the reclamation of a further 1,300 hectares of derelict land.

Every region will receive more DLG resources than in 1990/91 but, as in previous years, more than 90 per cent. of the resources will be allocated to the North and Midlands, where the problems of dereliction are most severe. We have given the largest allocations to the North West and Yorkshire and Humberside, where some of the most extensive dereliction is found; and to the West Midlands, where there is a need to continue support for the programme of investigative and remedial work on old limestone workings in the Black Country.

We are approving new rolling programmes of reclamation for the Weaver Valley in Cheshire; Kirklees; the North Derbyshire Coalfield; and The Wrekin. Following the second round of triennial rolling programme reviews carried out last year, we have decided to continue rolling programme status for Project Furness (Barrow), and Liverpool. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal Corridor Rolling Programme will be reviewed in the course of 1991. The total provision made for the 21 rolling programmes approved for 1991/92 will be nearly £36 million. DLG 66WA remains an important instrument for the regeneration of the inner cities. About 40 per cent. of DLG resources is devoted annually towards reclamation in these areas and this level of support will continue in 1991/92. Twelve of the 21 rolling programmes of reclamation are located in inner city areas: the total 1991/92 expenditure on these programmes is estimated at more than £21 million.

Overall, my allocations include more than £19 million for treating dereliction arising from coal mining. In the last five years the Government have steadily increased their support for reclamation schemes in coalfield areas. The resources allocated to coalfield reclamation in 1991/92 are, at £19.515 million, more than 50 per cent. higher than those for 1990/91. This will allow more than £6 million for new starts in the Northern, Yorkshire and Humberside, West Midlands and East Midlands areas.

The allocations will allow regions to approve at least 25 new schemes where the treatment of contamination has been a decisive factor in DLG support being given. The total cost of reclaiming the 230 hectares involved will be about £24 million, of which about £5 million will be spent next year. We estimate that between £10 million and £15 million will be spent next year on schemes to treat seriously contaminated derelict land. This is a new objective for the programme made in response to the Select Committee on the Environment's report Contaminated Land, published on 24th January 1990.

The increased resources for the derelict land programme are being made available at the same time as new priorities and objectives for derelict land grant are being considered. We want to enhance the role of DLG as a nationwide grant regime for the reclamation of derelict land wherever it has a damaging effect on the environment. Our aim is to bring the land back into the most appropriate use for the benefit of the local community.

These changes will be set out in detail in a derelict land grant advice note to be published later this year.