HC Deb 24 January 1961 vol 633 cc1-2W
14. Mr. Corfield

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will ensure that, in the areas of administrative counties, applications for planning permission made by members of area planning committees, committees of councils of county districts, and other bodies having delegated planning powers, shall be considered by the local planning authority itself and not by any other body of which the applicant is himself a member.

Mr. Brooke

I think that it should be sufficient to rely upon the law governing the conduct of members having a pecuniary interest in a matter which comes before the local authority or committee to which they belong.

15. Mr. Corfield

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will ensure that all schemes for the delegation of planning powers shall include a provision whereby applications which, in the opinion of the local planning authority, are likely to result, if granted, in the capital appreciation of the land concerned beyond a specified minimum, shall be reserved for determination by the local planning authority.

Mr. Brooke

The classes of application to he reserved for determination by the local planning authority should, in my view, be decided by reference to their significance for the proper planning of the area rather than to the appreciation which would result from the grant of permission.

Mrs. Butler

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will give a list of planning cases in which he has intervened during the past year because of their national importance.

Mr. Brooke

Two hundred and thirty planning applications were "called-in" during 1960 for decision by me instead of by the local planning authority, though not all of them because they had national importance. National importance is a matter of degree, and I regret I could not undertake to list these applications by reference to it.

Mrs. Butler

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs in how many planning appeals during the past year he has concurred with the advice of his inspectors; and in how many he has differed.

Mr. Brooke

In 1960 I accepted the recommendations of my inspectors in 4,461 cases and differed from them in 337. In some of these latter cases the difference was in matters of detail only.