HC Deb 09 May 1995 vol 259 c419W
Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, by name, the planning applications for opencast mining in the United Kingdom which have been refused by the local planning authorities and which have gone to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in the last 10 years; how many have been successful and approved by the Planning Inspectorate; how many have been rejected by the Planning Inspectorate followed by the reversal of the decision by him; and how many have been successful and approved by the Planning Inspectorate but rejected by him. [22609]

Sir Paul Beresford

The provision of information on planning appeals is the responsibility of the Planning Inspectorate. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. Chris Shepley, to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from C. J. Shepley to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 5 May 1995: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about planning applications for opencast mining which have, on appeal, been decided by the Planning Inspectorate or the Secretary of State in the last 10 years. Information on planning appeals decided before January 1988 is not available. Since then, 80 appeals involving opencast coal extraction have been determined-49 by Inspectors and 31 by the Secretary of State after exercising his power to recover jurisdiction of the appeals. 47 appeals were allowed (30 by Inspectors and 17 by the Secretary of State), and 33 were dismissed (19 by Inspectors and 14 by the Secretary of State). Details of these appeals are given in the enclosed tables. Decisions taken by Inspectors are final, and the Secretary of State has no powers to overrule them. In respect of the appeals decided by the Secretary of State, his decision was not in accord with an Inspector's recommendation on only one occasion—that for the former Stagshaw Colliery, Corbridge, Northumberland (R2900/A/91/190575) which was dismissed on 18 February 1993. As the tables are too long to be printed in the Official Report, arrangements will be made for a copy to be deposited in the Library.