HC Deb 08 November 1974 vol 880 cc248-51W
Mr. Michael Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what dates have been fixed over the next 12 months for examinations in public of structure plans.

Mr. Oakes

The examination in public of the structure plans for the former county of Leicestershire and the former county borough of Leicester is due to start on 3rd December. The examination in public of the structure plans submitted by the former county boroughs of Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Warley and Birmingham is expected to start on 4th March 1975.

Mr. Michael Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment on which structure plans he has already announced his decision; and on what dates.

Mr. Oakes

My right hon. Friend has not yet announced his final decision on any structure plans, but he published on 11th September his proposed modifications to the structure plans for the former county boroughs of Coventry and Solihull and the former county councils of Warwickshire and Worcestershire. There is a period of six weeks allowed for making objections to the proposed modifications. My right hon. Friend will issue decisions on these plans as soon as possible after objections have been considered.

Mr. Michael Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many public hearings into structure plans have taken place since the conclusion of the hearing into the Worcestershire plan on 7th February; for which local authority areas; and on which dates.

Mr. Oakes

Since the conclusion of the examination in public of the Worcestershire structure plan on 7th February two examinations have started. The examination in public for the south Hampshire structure plan, comprising the areas of the former Portsmouth and Southampton county boroughs and adjacent areas in Hampshire started on 15th October. The examination in public for the structure plans comprising the areas of the former county boroughs of Stoke-on-Trent and Burton-upon-Trent and the former county of Staffordshire started on 22nd October. Both examinations are likely to be finished by the end of November. No other examination in public has been held since February.

Mr. Michael Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the local planning authorities, as constituted under the Local Government Act 1972, which have submitted structure plans to him in respect (a) of all their area, and (b) of part of

Area of new authority Former authority Date of submisson
West Midlands Metropolitan County Wolverhampton C.B.C. 15th February 1974
Dudley C.B.C. 27th March 1974
Walsall C.B.C. 26th March 1974
West Bromwich C.B.C. 14th February 1974
Warley C.B.C. 26th March 1974
Birmingham C.B.C. 22nd March 1974
Solihull C.B.C. 15th March 1973
Coventry C.B.C. 5th April 1973
Worcestershire C.C. (for the Boroughs of Stourbridge and Halesowen). 23rd May 1973
Warwickshire C.C. (for Sutton Cold-field Borough and parts of Stratford-on-Avon and Meriden R.D's.). 29th March 1973
Staffordshire C.C. (for Aldridge— Brownhills U.D.). 4th March 1974
Staffordshire (excluding the area included in the Peak District National Park). Staffordshire C.C. (excluding Aldridge — Brownhills U.D. and the area included in the Peak District National Park). 4th March 1974
Stoke-on-Trent C.B.C. 20th March 1974
Burton-upon-Trent C.B.C. 28th March 1974
Warwickshire C.C. (excluding parts of Stratford-on-Avon and Meriden R.D's.). 29th March 1973

(b) for part of the new authorities' areas

Area of new authority Former authority Date of submission
Hereford and Worcester Worcestershire C.C. (excluding Worcester City and the Boroughs of Stourbridge and Haiesowen). 23rd May 1973
Herefordshire C.C. 21st March 1974
Southampton C.B.C. 23rd January 1974
Hampshire Portsmouth C.B.C.
Hampshire C.C. (for adjacent areas to the county boroughs
Leicestershire Leicester C.B.C. 20th March 1974
Leicestershire C.C. (excluding Rutland)
Cleveland Teesside C.B.C. 27th March 1974

their area, indicating the date of submission in each case; and whether he will list the local planning authorities which have made no submissions to date.

Mr. Oakes

No structure plans have been submitted since 1st April 1974. However, structure plans submitted before 1st April 1974 are deemed to have been submitted by the new authorities as constituted by the Local Government Act 1972. Where the plans straddle the new boundaries they are deemed to have been submitted jointly by all the authorities whose area extends into the area covered by the plan.

Submitted structure plans now fall into the following categories; (a) for the whole of the new authorities' areas

The following planning authorities have not submitted structure plans for any part of their area:

Avon Lancashire
Buckinghamshire Northamptonshire
Cornwall Nottinghamshire
Devon Somerset
E. Sussex W. Sussex
Hertfordshire Merseyside
Kent W. Yorkshire
Norfolk Berkshire
N. Yorkshire Cheshire
Salop Derbyshire
Surrey Durham
Greater Manchester Gloucestershire
Tyne and Wear Isle of Wight
Peak District National Lincolnshire
Park Northumberland
Bedfordshire Oxfordshire
Cambridgeshire Suffolk
Cumbria Wiltshire
Dorset S. Yorkshire
Essex Humberside Lake District National Park

Total 40.

Summary:
The local planning authorities:
which have not submitted plans for any part of their areas number 40
which have submitted plans for part of their areas number 4
which have submitted plans for the whole of their areas number 3
47

45 county councils and 2 national park authorities.