§ Mr. Boardmanasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state the results of the survey of derelict land in England carried out by local authorities in response to Circular No. 55/64; and whether he will make grants available to these authorities for the clearance of derelict sites.
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DERELICT LAND MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT CIRCULAR NO. 55/64 Summary of Returns for England Derelict Land at 31.12.64 Counties (including County Boroughs) Total acreage Proportion of total acreage justifying treatment Acreage restored in 1964 Acreage proposed for restoration in 1965 Cheshire … 932 612 27 42 Derbyshire (High Peak) … 330 207 15 1 Lancashire … 11,522 8,634 404 507 North West Region … 12,784 9,453 446 550 Cumberland … 2,317 1,438 — 40 Durham … 8,710 5,697 203 872 Northumberland … 7,431 5,062 32 453 Yorkshire—North Riding … 1,333 1,077 23 123 Westmorland … 31 17 — — Northern Region … 19,822 13,291 258 1,488 Lincolnshire—Lindsey … 2,863 1,470 — — Yorkshire—East Riding … 622 379 14 — Yorkshire—West Riding … 6,248 3,811 113 221 Yorkshire and Humberside Region … 9,733 5,660 127 221 Derbyshire (excluding High Peak) … 1,913 1,687 18 168 Leicestershire … 1,398 559 30 31 Lincolnshire—Holland … 5 1 1 1 Lincolnshire—Kesteven … 1,021 36 — — Northamptonshire … 247 247 51 17 Nottinghamshire … 1,443 1,295 15 61 Rutland … 115 74 1 2 East Midlands Region … 6,142 3,899 116 280 Herefordshire … 16 — — — Shropshire … 1,429 1,364 4 2 Staffordshire … 9,052 8,256 724 503 Warwickshire … 931 536 125 59 Worcestershire … 862 835 — 40 West Midlands Region … 12,290 10,991 853 604 Cornwall … 14,284 1,875 — 17 Devon … 235 230 45 109 Dorset … 10 — — — Gloucestershire … 184 43 40 33 Isles of Scilly … — — — — Somerset … 1,034 484 1 8 Wiltshire … 295 131 — — South West Region … 16,042 2,763 86 167
§ Mr. CrossmanThe results of the survey for each county including county boroughs are summarised in the following table. This shows that about 51,000 acres of derelict land were judged by the local authorities to be in need of treatment at 31st December, 1964, of which they proposed to restore about 3,500 acres in 1965. As I have already told my hon. Friend, I consider that a much higher rate of clearance is required, and I hope to be able to make grant available for this purpose.
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Counties (including County Boroughs) Total acreage Proportion of total acreage justifying treatment Acreage restored in 1964 Acreage proposed for restoration in 1965 Bedfordshire … … 419 399 23 58 Berkshire … … 63 63 37 34 Buckinghamshire … … 631 250 2 14 Cambridgeshire … … 198 — — — Ely—Isle of … … 348 59 4 — Essex … … 444 301 3 20 Hampshire … … 222 101 21 — Hertfordshire … … 15 — 3 — Huntingdonshire … … 199 3 3 1 Kent … … 1,023 486 26 9 London … … 1 1 — — Middlesex … … 12 1 — — Norfolk … … 1,739 1,546 14 72 Oxfordshire … … 1,749 1,250 24 3 Peterborough—Soke of … … 221 — — — Suffolk—East … … 92 92 14 7 Suffolk—West … … 173 173 7 4 Surrey … … 134 110 — 5 Sussex—East … … 99 39 — — Sussex—West … … 180 135 9 3 Wight—Isle of … … 125 125 — — South Eastern England … … 8,087 5,134 190 230 National totals … … 84,900 51,191 2,076 3,540