§ 58. Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will exercise his powers under Section 15 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, so that the application for permission to develop the site of the Grand Theatre, Croydon, which it is proposed to demolish, shall be referred direct to him in the first instance; and what representations he has received about this matter.
§ Mr. H. BrookeI could not comply with the suggestion in the first part of the hon. Member's Question because the Croydon Council as planning authority has already granted planning permission for redevelopment. I understand that before doing so the council considered buying the theatre—which is some 60 or 70 years old—but concluded that that would not be a sound proposition.
Representations have been made to me by the Croydon Theatre Trust that the permission should be revoked, but I think that this is a matter which ought to be left to local decision and I am not prepared to intervene. Revocation would involve compensation and might cost the rate-payers about £50,000.