§ Mr. Michael Forsythasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what conclusions the Government have reached on the proposals for extending the Landscape 497W Areas Special Development Order 1950 set out in the consulation paper issued by his Department and the Welsh Office on 18 April 1985.
§ Mr. WaldegraveMy right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales have considered the proposals for extending the Landscape Areas Special Development Order 1950 very carefully in the light of the many helpful responses received to the consultation paper.
We proposed to introduce a new order to give all national park authorities in England and Wales discretion to require approval of the design, external appearance and siting of farm and forestry buildings and roads, where such development is carried out as permitted development under the general development order.
At present, LASDO applies to some areas not within current national park boundaries. The arrangements under the order have been working satisfactorily there since they were introduced in 1950 and the new order will apply in those areas as well.
We propose to increase from 14 to 28 days the period within which the local planning authority may require that the details of development proposals be subject to its approval. While this will mean a slight further delay before the developer may proceed without further ado, it should reduce the likelihood that the authority will require submission of details unnecessarily.
The consultation paper noted that discretionary grants under section 44 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 could be made by national park authorities as a means of recompensing farmers for disproportionately large additional costs incurred as a result of an authority's design requirements. It was put to us in the course of consultation that the payment of such discretionary grants could, however, for technical reasons, prevent the payment of farm capital grant.
We have concluded that claims for farm capital grant on the full cost of an investment should not be prejudiced by offers of grant by national park authorities towards the cost attributable to supplementary work required by them.
However, the payment of farm capital grant at the appropriate rate on the full cost of the projected investment must not bring the total amount payable on such supplementary work to more than 50 per cent. in the less favoured areas or 35 per cent. elsewhere.
We feel that the new arrangements will provide a fitting and just system of compensation for the farming community.
I am satisfied that the proposals represent a sensible approach to farm and forestry development in national parks. They allow planning authorities to require, as necessary, approval of the relevant plans, but do not impose full planning controls. The new order will provide an extra safeguard for the environment without imposing any significant burden either on the local planning authority or on farmers and foresters.
We propose to lay the new order before the House in the spring.