§ Mr. Murtonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what priority he attaches to town centre redevelopments within Her Majesty's Government's housing and building programme.
§ Mr. MacCollThe Government's priorities were set out in paragraphs 19 and 20 of the White Paper on 'The Housing Programme 1965 to 1970', published in November 1965 (Cmnd. 2838).
§ Mr. Murtonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) to how many schemes for town centre redevelopment loan sanction has already been firmly committed; to which local authorities; and how many of those local authorities are in development areas;
(2) what sum of money is already firmly pre-empted for loan sanction for town centre redevelopment in 1967–68 or within the period envisaged in Circular 50/66; and what proportion that represents of the estimated total sum available for loan sanction under Circular 50/66.
§ Mr. MacCollThe following 52 local authorities have been told that specified town centre redelopment schemes, totalling 63 in all, have been accepted as commitments for loan sanction subject to agreement in detail.
If the schemes referred to are implemented £15 million will be committed in 1967–68. On present estimates these schemes will require some £44 million over the period 1967–68–1971–72 inclusive. It is not possible at present to say what proportion this will represent of the total sum likely to be available for loan sanction.
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Economic Planning Regions Northern Region Northwich U.D. Gateshead C. B. Oldham C.B. Durham B. Salford C.B. West Hartlepool C.B. Stretford B. Sunderland C.B. Swinton & Pendlebury Newcastle C.B. B. Thornaby-on-Tees, Winsword U.D. B.C. Kirkby U.D. Billingham U.D. Bredbury & Romily Longbenton U.D. U.D. Seaton Valley U.D. Liverpool C.B. North West Region Yorkshire & Humber Blackburn C.B. side Region Bolton C.B. Halifax C.B. Bootle C.B. Kingston-upon-Hull Burnley C.B. C.B. Bury C.B. Leeds C.B. Droylesdon U.D. East Riding C.C.
West Midlands South West Region Region Poole B. Droitwich B. Plymouth C.B. Birmingham C.B. Bath C.B. Kidderminster B. Long Ashton R.D. Coventry C.B. South East Region Dudley C.B. Reading C.B. Lichfield B. High Wycombe B. Tamworth B. Brighton C.B. Stourbridge B. Southampton C.B. Cheshunt U.D. East Midlands Aylesbury B. Daventry B. Kings Lynn B. Wellingborough U.D. Basingstoke B. Slough B. Margate B. 12 local authorities are in development areas, and I (Winsford U.D.), though not in a development area, enjoys development area facilities.
§ Mr. Murtonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what estimate he has made of the overall number of town centre redevelopment schemes which are in advanced stages of preparation or awaiting implementation.
§ Mr. MacCollSeveral hundred. More detailed information will become available in respect of schemes involving public sector investment when replies to Circular No. 50/66 are complete.
§ Mr. Murtonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will set out in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the amount of loan sanction for planning investment and town centre redevelopment for each of the years 1960 to 1965, inclusive, breaking down those figures to show how much was for acquisition of land in advance of requirements under the Local Authorities (Land) Act 1963 and other local acts.
§ Mr. MacCollFollowing is the information available:
A B Planning Investment Advance Acquisition of Land under the Local Authorities (Land) Act 1963 and other Local Acts £ million £ million 1960–61 not available 1960–61 not available 1961–62 12 1961–62 not available 1962–63 23.9 1962–63 7.7 1963–64 36.3 1963–64 13.6 1964–65 45.0 1964–65 21.1 1965–66 49.2 1965–66 19.2 Note
For 1965–66 loan sanction for town centre redevelopment under all statutory powers was £22.7 million. Comparable figures for earlier years are not readily available.
Note
The figures given in column B include advance acquisition for all purposes. For 1965–66 the figure for advance acquisition in town centre redevelopment schemes was £11.23 million.
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§ Mr. Murtonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities have submitted to him their revised plans for town centre redevelopment in accordance with Circular 50/66; and how many have still to submit their revised proposals.
§ Mr. MacCollExcluding nil returns, 121 local authorities have so far submitted proposals. It is esimated that proposals have still to be submitted by some 270 authorities. Returns have been requested by 30th January 1967.
§ Mr. Murtonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what sum he estimates will be available by way of loan sanction in 1967–68 for planning investment and town centre redevelopment; how much will be available for the period 1967 to 1972 to meet the programmes called for in Circular 50/66; and what proportion of the loans sanctioned are likely to be for planning blight purposes.
§ Mr. MacCollThe total loan sanction available will depend upon the number and soundness of the schemes submitted in response to Circular 50/66 and upon the level of public investment which may be approved in each of these years. It is not practicable to make an estimate in advance of expenditure arising from planning blight.