§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to control development on private playing fields. [68566]
§ Mr. RaynsfordPlanning Policy Guidance note 17: "Sport and Recreation" provides advice on this issue. It emphasises the special significance of playing fields, including those that are privately owned and that they should normally be protected from development, taking into account the long-term needs of the community for recreation and amenity open space.
Last month, my Department issued Circular 9/98: the Town and Country Planning (Playing Fields) (England) Direction 1998. This applies to any application for developing private land which is currently or has at any time in the five years before the application been used as a playing field by an educational institution.