§ Commander Purseyasked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the position as regards the sale of Spurn Point to the Yorkshire Naturalists Trust; and what conditions are included to ensure free access, with no charges, to land and beaches, which have been open to the public for recreation from time immemorial.
§ Mr. SoamesTerms have been agreed between the War Office and the Yorkshire Naturalists Trust for the sale of Spurn Point to the Trust, and the legal conveyance is in process of completion. The Trust has been allowed at its own request to enter the land in advance of this completion.
I understand that any established rights of public access remain unaffected and that the Trust is prepared to allow access to the peninsular, subject to restrictions in areas where birds are breeding.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Secretary of State for War (1) if he will state the details of the property included in the sale of Spurn Point, the total of the Government valuation, the prices at which it was offered to the Holderness Rural District Council and the Yorkshire Naturalists Trust, respectively; and, in each case, what were the requirements as regards the maintenance of the sea defences;
(2) why the sale of Spurn Point was not advertised in the normal way of disposal of Government surplus property; and why the whole of the property has been offered to the Yorkshire Naturalists Trust, to the detriment of thousands of users, when all the Trust required was the limited area of the bird sanctuary.
§ Mr. SoamesThe property sold is the Peninsular, consisting of 280 acres with some buildings and installations. (Hutting and some other assets are to be sold separately.) The land cannot be valued by ordinary standards. Its maintenance against the sea and drifting32W sand has been costing the War Department about £20,000 a year. This was explained to a meeting of local and other authorities last year and no objection was made to our proposal to sell the Peninsular. None of the authorities concerned wished to undertake the cost of its maintenance.
Since it was no longer needed for military purposes and could not be held indefinitely by the War Office, the land had to be sold without provision being made for the maintenance of its sea defences. This will involve coast erosion along the Peninsular which will make it unsuitable for development. It is, on the other hand, an area of special scientific interest and its sale to the Yorkshire Naturalists Trust was decided upon as the most appropriate course.
The remaining War Department land on the north of the Peninsular is not affected by all these special considerations and will be offered for sale in the usual way, apart from one area which a previous owner wishes to repurchase.
It is not customary to disclose details of negotiations on sales or purchases of property.