§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the average length of time between the submission to his Department of applications for road closures and the beginning of a public inquiry on those closures in the central London area over the past 12 months.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe only such case in central London covers Upper Ground and adjacent streets in SE1, where the period was 18 weeks.
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether priority has been given by officials in his Department to processing applications for the stopping up of roads in Upper Ground, Coin street, Dudley street and Cornwall road made by Greycoats Commercial Estates.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe Department always aims to handle the applications with which it deals as fast as possible, subject to the statutory processes. If there are special reasons for urgency in a particular case, officials will take care to avoid unnecessary delay.
§ Mr. Stuart Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of the fact tha Greycoats Commercial Estates did not consult the appropriate highways and planning authorities prior to its application for road closures in Upper Ground, Coin street, Dudley street and Cornwall road, he will halt the public inquiry into those closures.
§ Mrs. ChalkerNo.