Canary Wharf Scheme

HC Deb 12 November 1985 vol 86 c120W

Mr. Evennet

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will call in the Canary wharf scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Baker

The scheme, which is still under discussion between the developers and LDDC, is for a major development, primarily of offices, on Canary wharf in the London docklands development area. The site is located almost entirely in the Isle of Dogs enterprise zone. As a result, it benefits from the automatic planning permission which goes with the enterprise zone regime laid down in the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980. That Act makes no provision for the intervention of the Secretary of State to call in an individual planning application for public inquiry as with other major planning cases.

I take the view that, having established through the EZ system a particular means of providing planning permission in parts of the country which are in urgent need of regeneration, it would not be right for me to intervene.