§ Mr. Cormackasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that local planning authorities notify every householder of the receipt of planning applications for permission to demolish, erect, extend or otherwise alter any building immediately adjacent to his home.
§ Mr. John SilkinSubject to statutory requirements in certain cases, it is a matter for the local planning authority's discretion whether publicity should be given, by notification of neighbours or otherwise, to applications for planning permission and if so in what form. General guidance on this subject was given to planning authorities in Circular 71/73. Mr. George Dobry, QC, who is carrying out a review of the development control system, made some recommendations about publicity in his interim report published last January, in particular that all applications should receive some publicity possibly by means of a site notice. Mr. Dobry will be considering this matter further in the light of reactions to his interim report before producing his final report at the end of the year.