§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Transport why his Department has altered its direction of November 1979 that traffic safety reasons prevented allowing a takeaway food shop at 247 Bradford Road, Keighley, and has now decided that no restrictions need apply; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerIn 1979 my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State exercised his power to direct the local planning authority to refuse planning permission because it was judged that the development would affect road safety and generate excessive traffic. In July 1981 he circulated a consultation paper seeking views on proposals to limit the scope of control to those forms of development which have a really significant effect on road safety and traffic flow and to leave other kinds of development 753W proposals entirely to local planning authorities to decide. We have given effect to these proposals by administrative action insofar as development is adjacent to trunk roads for which we have responsibility. No reason was found to give directions to the local planning authority in respect of the 1981 planning application.