§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the decision to grant planning approval to Sainsbury to build a shopping centre between Richmond and East Sheen. [10605]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe decision was made by the planning inspector. I have therefore asked the Planning Inspectorate's chief executive, Mr. Chris Shepley, to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from C. J. Shepley to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated 25 July 1997:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your Question about the planning appeal decision to allow a food retail development and a non-food retail development on land at the former gasworks site located at Lower Richmond Road and Manor Road, Richmond.The appeal proposal was the subject of an 8 day public inquiry. After considering all the evidence, the Inspector was satisfied that the proposed development would not have an adverse effect on the vitality and viability of the existing town centres in the Borough. He also found that there were no alternative town centre or edge-of-centre sites available for the development.The Inspector considered the effect of the proposal on the road and public transport network. Again, however, he found no cogent grounds to justify withholding consent.In the absence of any substantiated planning objections to the proposals, the Inspector therefore allowed the appeals.