HL Deb 05 March 1997 vol 578 c134WA
Lord Luke

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Department of Transport's former research site at Crowthorne has been sold.

Viscount Goschen

The department has exchanged contracts with Legal & General Assurance Society Ltd. to dispose of the research site at Crowthorne, to take effect from 25 March. The price is £18.2 million with a clawback provision on the undeveloped part of the site. The disposal represents a good deal for the taxpayer and the local community at Crowthorne, which will have the benefit of a respected financial institution as the new landlord. The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has a long lease for most of the site, which has 14 years to run. TRL will be able to continue its excellent research, for which it is world famous.