§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration was given to the complaints raised by Crigglestone parish council prior to the decision to remove green belt land designation for development purposes at junction 39, M1 motorway, in Wakefield. [26747]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe parish council's objections were considered at the public local inquiry into the Wakefield unitary development plan. The Secretary of State has no records of complaints being made prior to the adoption of the plan on 6 December 1994.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information was provided about alternative sites for proposed development in the case of land at junction 39, M1 motorway, in Wakefield. [26673]
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§ Sir Paul BeresfordThis is a matter considered during the preparation of, and at the public local inquiry into, the Wakefield unitary plan. The Secretary of State has been fully consulted about the plan and has been satisfied with the information given.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of the inspector's investigation into an application to remove land from the green belt for development at junction 39, M1 motorway, in Wakefield. [26651]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe cost of the public local inquiry into objections to the Wakefield unitary development plan is a matter for Wakefield metropolitan council and the Planning Inspectorate Agency. I have asked the agency's director to write separately to the hon. Member.
Letter from J. Greenfield to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 2 June 1995:
The Secretary of State for the Environment has asked me to reply to your question about the cost of the Inspector's report on objections to the removal of land from green belt for development at junction 39 of the M1 in Wakefield. This formed part of the public inquiry into objections to the Wakefield Unitary Development Plan, which closed on 27 January 1993 after 61 sitting days.Unfortunately, it is not possible to say what was the exact cost of the Inspector's consideration of these particular objections. I understand that approximately 1.5 inquiry days were occupied in hearing representations on this objection also, and additional time would have been spent in producing the Inspector's report. The fee charged per Inspector day was £285, plus some £85 per day in travel and subsistence costs where appropriate.On the basis of the then current Planning Inspectorate guideline of 3 reporting days per inquiry sitting/site visit day, the Inspector would have spent some 4 to 5 days reporting on the oral and written representations relating to the site. The total cost would thus have been some £1,800.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the information on potential development sites, outside of green belt, in urban areas, when consideration was given to development proposals at junction 39 of the M1 motorway in Wakefield. [26669]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe matter was considered at the public local inquiry into objections to the Wakefield unitary development plan. The Secretary of State has been fully consulted at every stage of the plan's preparation. He has scrutinised the proposals, having regard to national and regional policy advice, and was content with the plan at the time of adoption.