Teesside International Nature Reserve

HC Deb 19 November 1998 vol 319 cc825-6W

Dr. Kumar

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will make a statement on the arrangements made at the demise of the Teesside Development Corporation for the future of the Teesside International Nature Reserve; [60541]

(2) if he will list the owners of land allocated for the Nature Reserve following the demise of Teesside Development Corporation. [60502]

Mr. Meale

Prior to its wind up, the Teesside Development Corporation entered into contractual arrangements whereby its leasehold interest in the land would be assigned to the Teesside Environmental Trust Limited, subject to the consent of ICI as the freeholders; its freehold interest would similarly be transferred to the Trust; two landfill operators would commit landfill tax credits to the nature reserve; and one of the landfill operators would have the right to extract clay, thereby creating water features, in return for which the operator would pay royalties to the Trust.

Upon the Development Corporation's wind up at the end of March, its freehold and leasehold interests in the land were transferred to the Commission for the New Towns. The Commission still holds these interests, with ICI owning the freehold of the land leased by the Commission.