HC Deb 27 April 1978 vol 948 cc681-3W
Mr. Newens

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on progress to date on the transfer to local authorities of new town housing assets, previously owned by the new town development corporations and the New Towns Commission; and if he will list the numbers of houses transferred in each of the towns concerned on 1st April 1978;

(2) if he will make a statement on the progress to date on the transfer to local authorities of assets associated with new town housing assets previously owned by development corporations and the New Towns Commission; and if he will list the numbers of shops and other categories of property involved in each of the towns concerned.

Mr. Guy Barnett

Under the New Towns (Amendment) Act 1976 nearly 100,000 houses and related assets have been transferred on the first of this month in the towns of Aycliffe, Bracknell, Corby, Crawley, Harlow, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Peterlee, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City from the development corporations and the Commission for the New Towns to the relevant district councils. I should like to put on record the Government's appreciation of the work done under considerable pressure by staff of the Commission for the New Towns and of the development corporations and district councils concerned, to make these transfers possible. The main properties transferred in each town is as follows:

Aycliffe 5,700 dwellings, 25 shops, 3 meeting halls, 3 public houses, 4 depots, land for recreational purposes.

Bracknell 8,800 dwellings, 75 shops, 8 community buildings, 4 public houses, 12 depots, land for housing and recreational purposes.

Corby 9,900 dwellings, 111 shops, 15 community buildings, 7 public houses, 18 small workshops, land for housing and recreational purposes.

Crawley 9,700 dwellings, 139 shops, 37 community buildings, 10 public houses, 8 service industry sites (small workshops and depots) land for housing and recreational purposes.

Harlow 18,500 dwellings, 180 shops, 29 offices above the shops, 19 community buildings, 12 public houses, 13 small depots and stores, land for housing and recreational purposes.

Hatfield 3,600 dwellings, 28 shops, 5 community buildings, 2 public houses, 3 small workshops, 3 depots, land for housing and recreational purposes.

Hemel Hempstead 10,400 dwellings, 122 shops, 7 community buildings, 5 public houses, 9 small workshops, 4 depots, land for housing and recreational purposes.

Peterlee 6,900 dwellings, 39 shops, 4 community buildings, 4 public houses, a depot, land for housing and recreational purposes.

Stevenage 13,700 dwellings, 180 shops, 17 community buildings, 14 public houses, 13 small workshops, 5 depots, land for housing and recreational purposes.

Welwyn Garden City 9,200 dwellings, 43 shops, 16 community buildings, 4 public houses, 7 depots, land for housing and recreational purposes. (The number of dwellings given includes a small proportion sold on long leases where only the reversionary interest has been transferred. The term "community buildings" refers to meeting halls, youth clubs, scouts huts, etc.)

In addition, garages associated with the transferred dwellings and various miscellaneous properties, e.g. housing offices, surgeries, petrol stations and TV relay systems, have been transferred; and additional land on which housing is either planned or already under construction has been made subject to management arrangements in Aycliffe, Bracknell, Harlow, Peterlee and Stevenage.