§ 90. Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take further steps to discourage development outside the conurbations and provide additional incentives to secure reclamation of derelict land within them.
§ Mr. TrippierThe Government are already firmly committed to the preservation of the countryside and the maximum use of urban land for new development. Under the derelict land grant, priority is given to reclaiming derelict sites in urban areas and city grant and urban programme grants are also available to reclaim derelict land and facilitate development. In addition, the 10 urban development corporations now established in England are making a significant impact on the derelict land in their areas.
Nevertheless, the latest household projections make it clear that some land for housing will continue to be needed in the foreseeable future on new sites outside urban areas. Such sites will have to be identified with an eye to all material planning considerations.