§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will decide whether to call in the planning application in respect of the leisure development at Whitechapel moor, South Molton, Devon.
§ Sir Paul BeresfordIt is my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's policy to deal expeditiously with requests that he call in planning applications for his own determination. He expects to issue a decision shortly after North Devon district council has reached its conclusions on it.
§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes in circumstances occurred between 16 September and 21 October to cause the Secretary of State to require the local planning authority to resolve the planning application in respect of the leisure development at Whitechapel moor, South Molton, Devon.
§ Sir Paul BeresfordOn 16 September my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State exercised his powers under 1155W article 14 of the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988 and directed North Devon district council not to grant planning permission for a golf and leisure development at Whitechapel moor, South Molton, Devon. The direction was issued because the application would not otherwise be referred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State as a departure from the development plan. In effect, the direction provides an opportunity to consider whether the application raises the type of issues which would justify call-in.
On 20 September the North Devon district council planning committee deferred making a decision on the application pending the outcome of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's decision on call-in. On 21 October the Government office for the south-west requested the council to resolve the planning application which remains before it and explained that it was important to know what the council's decision would he. If the application were refused, the substantial additional expense associated with a public inquiry would he avoided.