§ 46. Mr. Simsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to enable him to 242W designate certain green belt land as inviolable areas in respect of which he would not be prepared to entertain planning applications or appeals in relation thereto.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThere is a general presumption against inappropriate development throughout the green belts, as set out in circular 14/84. My speech to the Confederation of British Industries on 14 October underlined the importance of the policy. In view of the terms of the policy I do not consider that a power on the lines proposed by my hon. Friend is necessary.
§ 58. Mr. Chapmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about his policies to protect established green belt land in the context of initiatives to redevelop derelict and underused urban land.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe Government's policies on the protection of green belts are set out in the Department's circular 14/84. These policies are themselves an important pressure securing the use of vacant or derelict urban land. We are continuing our efforts to get the unused and underused land in the ownership of public bodies brought back into use. So far, of the total area of such land entered on the land registers, 43,000 acres have been deleted most because it has been sold, or brought into use by the owners.