§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to encourage local planning authorities to allow the provision of residential wardens' accommodation at mobile home and caravan parks. [9171]
§ Mr. RaynsfordDevelopment proposals for on-site residential accommodation for wardens are considered within the framework of Government policy as set out in planning policy guidance notes. PPG7 on "The Countryside—Environmental Quality and Economic and Social Development" restricts the provision of new dwellings in the open countryside in order to protect rural landscapes and the character of the countryside. There is scope for local planning authorities to grant permission for isolated dwellings in the countryside in exceptional circumstances, for example where these are essential for agricultural or forestry workers. The Government have not been persuaded that exceptions should be made to existing policy other than in certain exceptional cases provided for in existing guidance PPG7.