Mr. Andy StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has completed his review of derelict land policy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungI have today arranged for copies of a derelict land grant advice note setting out the Government's new priorities and objectives for derelict land grant (DLG) to be deposited in the Library of the House of Commons.
The new policies set out in the advice note represent the culmination of the Review of Derelict Land Policy which has been carried out by the Department following the announcement by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside to the House on 20 July 1988. There have been extensive consultations with local authorities and other interested bodies.
The national priorities and objectives of DLG have been redefined to enable support to be given to the reclamation of sites for both development and environmental improvement. Priority will be given to the treatment of sites which are causing major environmental damage, particularly those which are badly contaminated. We have also enhanced the grant regime available to the private and voluntary sectors.
These changes go hand in hand with the 23 per cent. increase in resources for DLG in 1991–92 which I announced in a reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Mr. Favell) on 7 February 1991 at column 226. The Government's aim is to broaden the scope of DLG as a nation wide grant for the reclamation of derelict land and to make the grant regime more flexible and attractive. This will speed up the rate at which derelict land is reclaimed and returned to an appropriate use for the benefit of the local community.
In urban areas priority will be given to recycling land for development where there is a proven demand for investment from the private sector but reclamation for environmental improvement will also be welcomed in order to improve the attractiveness of an area as a place for investment or in which to live or work. This will include, for example, promoting nature or historic conservation and community forests.
In rural areas, emphasis will be placed on reclamation in areas of particularly high scenic quality and on schemes to foster development having regard to local planning policies.
Local authorities will be encouraged to develop reclamation strategies in consultation with local interests involved in reclamation. The number of rolling programmes of reclamation which allow local authorities to plan their reclamation strategies for several years ahead will be increased.
A more attractive grant regime for the private sector and for voluntary bodies has also been introduced. A wider range of costs will be eligible for grant and voluntary bodies will be able to apply directly to the Department for grants to clear up neglected or unsightly land. Non-local authority DLG will also be re-introduced into the 57 urban programme areas.