HC Deb 08 March 1971 vol 813 c53W
Mr. Ted Fletcher

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received a petition signed by 8,500 residents in Darlington, on the subject of the present proposals of the Darlington Borough Council for town centre redevelopment; and what reply he has sent.

Mr. Michael Heseltine

Yes. The petitioners were informed on 1st March that Darlington County Borough Council had been authorised on 3rd November, 1970, to decide the application for outline planning permission as they saw fit and that on 11th November permission was granted, subject to conditions. It was not therefore possible to deal with the merits of the town centre redevelopment proposals as a whole at the local inquiry into Bennet House and there was no reason to postpone that inquiry.