§ Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he takes to pevent the abuse of planning permission in cases where permission for residential development in green belt areas is obtained under the guise that the development is for agricultural purposes and is then used as a precedent for further development and erosion of green belt land.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI am satisfied that there are sufficient safeguards in existing planning controls to prevent such as abuse.
Permission may be given in the green belt for the construction of buildings for agricultural purposes in accordance with Ministry of Housing and Local Government circular 42/55. This many include agricultural dwellings. But there is a presumption against other development of residential purposes in the green belt and this has recently been reaffirmed in circular 14/84, a copy of which I have placed in the Library.