HC Deb 26 November 1979 vol 974 cc539-44W
Mr. Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he is now in a position to give final figures for 1978–79 for each county area for land acquired and disposed of up to 31 March, on the basis provided for 1977–78 by the previous Under-Secretary of State in his answer to the hon. Member for Melton, Official Report, 9 March, 827–30;

(2) how many of the (a) 9 acres acquired by local authorities in 1976–77 and (b) 19 acres acquired in 1977–78 for other uses, including commerce, have since been resold; what are the total

for the first, second and third quarters of 1979; and how these figures compare with the comparable period in 1978;

(2) what were the number of new orders for private and public industrial and commercial building, and for repair and maintenance work, for the first, second, and third quarters of 1979; and how these figures compare with the comparable period in 1978.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

Numbers of orders cannot be reliably estimated. Available estimates of the volume of orders for new construction, but not for repair and maintenance, follow:

receipts in each case; and how they compare with the £0.44 million and £0.8 million acquisition costs;

(3) how many of the (a) 729 acres acquired by local authorities in 1976–77 and (b) 352 acres acquired in 1977–78 for industry under the Community Land Act have since been resold; what are the total receipts in each case; and how they compare with the £5.4 million and £5.1 million acquisition costs;

(4) how many of the (a) 832 acres acquired by local authorities in 1976–77 and (b) 372 acres acquired in 1977–78 for housing under the Community Land Act have since been resold; what are the total receipts in each case; and how they compare with the £6.25 million and £3.1 million acquisition costs;

Mr. Fox

With the demise of the community land scheme, and in the interests of economy, the Department no longer maintains the capability to analyse the records at reasonable cost in the way my hon. Friend asks. Details of local authority land accounts are being published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

Mr. Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the local authorities whose 1978–79 community land accounts showed a surplus; and whether he will give details of each of (a) income, (b) expenditure, (c) administrative costs as part of (b), (d) land acreage acquired and (e) land acreage resold in 1978–79.

Mr. Fox

Of the 377 land accounts for 1978–79 so far received, surpluses were shown by the following district councils: Lichfield, Ryedale, St. Albans City and Shrewsbury and Atcham borough. Details from individual authorities' accounts will be published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

LAND ACQUIRED
1977–78 1978–79
Proposed use Acres Cost Acres Cost
£ million £ million
Housing 372 3.1 630 6.2
Industry 352 5.1 491 6.0
Other (including commerce) 19 0.8 35 8.1
Total 743 9.0 1,156 20.3

Mr. Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he is now in a position to give a figure for the cost of local authority staffing and administration charged out to community land accounts in 1978–79;

(2) whether he will give details for 1978–79 of the total level of (a) expenditure, (b) income, (c) deficit or (d) surplus for English local authorities in 1978–79 in their community land accounts.

Mr. Fox

The information from the 377 land accounts for 1978–79 so far received is as follows:

£(m)
Total expenditure 31.7
Total Income 11.5
deficit 20.2
Staffing and administration 3.2

Mr. Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the disposal notification areas still in existence under the Community Land Act; and what advice he has given to local authorities regarding the exercise of their powers in those areas prior to the repeal of the Act.

Mr. Fox

The following disposal notification areas are still extant:

Mr. Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will set out in tabular form the final figures for (a) the numbers of acres and (b) the price for land acquired by local authorities in England in each of the years 1977–78 and 1978–79 under the Community Land Act for each of the following uses: housing, industry and other, including commerce.

Mr. Fox

The latest estimates are given in the table below.

Area Authority
Kettering central area Kettering
707–723 Lordship Lane Haringey
1 & 1A 3–45 (odd) and 2–34 (even) Aberavon Road Tower Hamlets
Land near Running Stream, Weybourne Road, Farnham Waverley
Land at Hurtlands Close, Farnham Waverley
Rear of Newnhams, Crondall Lane, Farnham Waverley
Wrecclesham Potteries, Farnham Waverley
Land between Ashtead land and Shakstead Lane, Godalming Waverley
Jacksons Garage, Ockford Road, Godalming Waverley
South of Wheeler Lane, Witley Waverley
East of Stert Street, Abingdon Vale of White Horse
Land at Altham, Hyndburn Hyndburn
Land at High Street, Heygate Avenue, Church Road, Grove Terrace, Southend Southend-on-Sea

The advice in the guidance note (GNLA/20) issued to all English local authorities on 21 May, that in future community land scheme funds will not normally be available for new land acquisitions, applies equally to land in or outside disposal notification areas.

Mr. Latham

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list any orders, regulations, circulars, directions, development advice notes or guidance notes under the Community Land Act issued by his Department since 12 March.

Mr Fox

The information is as follows:

Consent Date made or issued Reference No.
General disposal consent Town and Country Planning Act1959 Local Government Act 1972 General consent to disposal of material interests in land in England. 21 May 1979 (issued with GNLA/20)
Directions
The community land accounts (Mole Valley district council). 20 March 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Doncaster metropolitan borough council). 22 March 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Breckland district council No. 1). 22 March 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Breckland district council No. 2). 22 March 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Wychavon district council). 30 March 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Sedgefield district council). 30 March 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Poole borough council). 31 March 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Derbyshire county council). 30 April 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Gravesham borough council). 10 May 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Mole Valley district council No. 2). 17 July 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (East Cambridgeshire district council). 3 August 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (England) (Amendment) Directions 1979. 10 August 1979 (issued with GNLA/21)
The community land accounts (Leicester city council). 16 August 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Wellingborough borough council). 29 August 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (East Northamptonshire district council). 29 August 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Dudley metropolitan borough council). 30 September 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Solihull metropolitan borough council No. 1). 30 September 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Solihull metropolitan borough council No. 2). 30 September 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Breckland district council No. 3). 2 October 1979
Special direction 1979
The community land accounts (Eastbourne borough council). 5 November 1979
Special direction 1979
Guidance to local authorities
Action to be taken pending repeal of the Community Land Act 1975. 21 May 1979 GNLA/20
Restriction of items to be entered in land accounts. 10 August 1979 GNLA/21