HC Deb 02 November 1993 vol 231 cc104-5W
Mr. Barry Field

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future of local government and the unitary authority proposals for the Isle of Wight.

Mr. Gummer

I have today written to Sir John Banham, chairman of the Local Government Commission, giving my decision on the commission's report "Final Recommendations on the Future Local Government of the Isle of Wight".

After considering the commission's recommendations for the island and the representations made, I have concluded that effective and convenient local government on the Isle of Wight would be best achieved by establishing a unitary authority for the whole island—Commission recommendation 1—and that this would best meet the identities and interests of the local people. The single-tier Isle of Wight council will be up and running by 1 April 1995.

All the other commission recommendations have been accepted as submitted with the exception of that for planning—recommendation 3—which I propose to modify. I believe that the planning needs on the island would be better served if the unitary authority were to prepare a unitary development plan rather than to continue with a two-tier planning system. The draft order for the Isle of Wight reorganisation will therefore state that, for the purposes of part II of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the initary island authority should be treated as an authority to whose area chapter I—unitary plans—of this part of the Act applies, rather than chapter II.

It is intended that the existing district councils on the Isle of Wight will cease to exist as of 1 April 1995.

There will be elections to the unitary authority held in May 1995. In order that there is adequate provision for planning the smooth transition to the new structure I intend to give the present county councillors, in consultation with the present district councillors, the necessary powers to plan for change.

Planning for the new unitary authority will be undertaken by existing county councillors who will consult and involve South Wight and Medina councils.

An order giving effect to the commission's recommendations, with the planning modification, will be laid before the House in due course. A copy of my letter to Stir John Banham has been placed in the Library.