§ Mr. Chapmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has completed his review of the rules for the disposal of Government land acquired by or under threat of compulsory purchase; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HeseltineThis review has now been completed and I have placed in the Library of both Houses a document entitled "Disposal of Government land to former owners: rules and procedures". This sets out the rules which will be followed from now on by all Government Departments and Agencies other than Northern Ireland Departments, which have separate arrangements. The new rules are commended to other public bodies for application as appropriate.
Ever since the Crichel Down case in 1954 it has been the general policy to give former owners or successors in title a right of first refusal in respect of surplus Government land which was originally acquired by or under threat of compulsion. This policy has applied only to land which was originally agricultural in character and is not the subject of any planning approval for change to a non-agricultural use.
The new rules extend the arrangements to land not formerly in agricultural use provided that it has not been materially changed in character since acquisition. Agricultural land acquired on or after 1 January 1935 will, as before, be offered back to the former owner; other land will be offered back which becomes available for disposal 25 years or less after it was acquired. The new rules set out a number of special cases in which a former owner will not have first refusal. They also lay down a new procedure for tracing former owners or their successors with the object of avoiding undue delays.