§ Mr. SMITHERSasked the Minister of Health how many claims have been made in 1928 and 1929 for compensation in respect of property injuriously affected by permissions granted by local authorities under the Town Planning (General Interim Development) Order, 1922; the number of claims in which compensation has been paid or awarded; and the amount of such compensation?
§ Mr. GREENWOODCompensation under the Town Planning Act is payable only in respect of injury to property due to the making of a town planning scheme. It follows, therefore, that no compensation would be payable in respect of a permission granted under the General Interim Development Order.
§ Mr. SMITHERSasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that a local authority operating under the Town Planning (General Interim Development) Order, 1922, is not bound to exercise the safeguards laid down for the protection of parties other than speculative builders and land developers in the Ministry of Health (Town Planning) Regulations, 1921, he will take steps to amend the 1922 Order?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThere are no safeguards for speculative builders and land developers other than a right of appeal against refusal to allow development, and I am not satisfied that any alteration is needed in the Order of 1922.
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§ Mr. MIDDLETONasked the Minister of Health whether he will take steps to obtain power to approve or disapprove of modifications of a town planning preliminary statement in cases where the modifications are made by a local authority while the preliminary statement is under his consideration?
§ Mr. GREENWOODA local authority has no power to modify a preliminary statement while it is under my consideration. I presume that what my hon. Friend has in mind is that a local authority should not have power without my approval to agree to a proposed development which is not in accordance with the proposals in the submitted preliminary statement. I do not think that there are sufficient reasons for this added restriction on local authorities.
§ Mr. MIDDLETONasked the Minister of Health how many town-planning local authorities in England and Wales are rural district councils; how many rural district councils are now operating under the Town Planning (General Interim Development) Order, 1922; and the aggregate area and population of the districts of such councils?
§ Mr. GREENWOODAll rural district councils are town planning authorities. The number of rural district councils in England and Wales is 643. The number of those district councils responsible for granting permissions for the protection of development pending the preparation and approval of town, planning schemes for their districts or parts of their districts under the Town' Planning (General Interim Development) Order, 1922, or similar Orders, is 129. The aggregate area and population of the districts of these 129 councils are 5,846,500 acres and 2,339,800 persons respectively. The aggregate area of the parts of those districts for which town planning schemes are in course of preparation is 2,891,600 acres, but I have not information of the aggregate population of the town planning areas as distinct from the districts as a whole.