HC Deb 16 February 1973 vol 850 cc445-6W
Mr. David Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the areas in Great Britain that will be receiving London overspill between 1st January 1973 and the end of 1979; and what is the estimate of the number of people that each area will receive during that period.

Mr. Graham Page

London overspill is accommodated in both new and expanding towns.

Expanding Towns. The Greater London Council aims at finding homes for 20,000 Londoners each year over the period 1973 to 1979 inclusive in the following towns with whose authorities it has agreements. The towns are listed under their economic planning region:

South East Andover, Ashford, Aylesbury, Banbury, Basingstoke, Bletchley, Braintree, Hastings, Houghton Regis, Letchworth, Sandy and Witham.

East Anglia Bury St. Edmunds, Haverhill, Huntingdon, King's Lynn, Melford, Mildenhall, St. Neots, Sudbury and Thetford.

South West Bodmin, Plymouth and Swindon.

East Midlands Grantham and Wellingborough.

Yorkshire and Humberside Gainsborough.

North West Burnley.

It is not possible to forecast how many Londoners will move to each town because their ability to move largely depends on jobs being available.

New Towns. It is not possible to say how many Londoners will move to each town but it is the intention that the towns will make the greatest possible contribution to the relief of London's housing needs. The estimated increase in the population of each town housing London overspill over the period 1973 to 1979 inclusive is as follows:

South East
Basildon 16,000
Bracknell 12,000
Harlow 5,000
Milton Keynes 69,000
Stevenage 4,000
Crawley 8,000
Hemel Hempstead 4,000
Hatfield 1,000
Welwyn Garden City 2,000
East Anglia
Peterborough 47,000
East Midlands
Corby 8,000
Northampton 55,000