HC Deb 12 November 1997 vol 300 cc550-2W
Mr. McDonnell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what procedures exist for ensuring that black and Asian planning applicants are not discriminated against on grounds of race by local authorities. [15285]

Mr. Raynsford

Under section 19A of the Race Relations Act 1976, it is unlawful for a planning authority to discriminate against a person in carrying out their planning functions. Under the 1976 Act, complainants have a right to take their case to the county court as in instances of discrimination in the fields of education, in the provision of goods and services and the disposal and management of premises.

Mr. Edward Davey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what types of proposed development were involved in each of the applications referred between 5 August 1996 and 3 July 1997 to the Sports Council for England as a statutory consultee under the terms of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995, as amended. [15164]

Mr. Raynsford

Of the 288 applications referred to the Sports Council for England between 5 August 1996 and 31 July 1997, 177 involved non-sports development as follows:

  • residential (99 applications);
  • educational (36);
  • other commercial development (31); and
  • other public/community facilities (11).

One hundred and thirty applications involved the development of sports facilities, the most common of which were:

  • synthetic turf pitches (46 applications);
  • sports halls/centres (43);
  • new playing fields and pitches (25);
  • pavilions/club houses (19);
  • floodlights (18);
  • athletics tracks (13);
  • swimming pools (11).

Some applications contained proposals for more than one new facility.

Mr. Edward Davey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the outcome has been of each of the planning applications referred to the Sports Council for England as a statutory consultee under the terms of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) order 1995, as amended with effect from 5 August 1996. [15162]

Mr. Raynsford

Of the 288 applications referred to the Sports Council for England between 5 August 1996 and 31 July 1997, the Council has been notified of 110 local planning authority decisions. Eighty-seven applications were approved including 20 to which they had objected; 16 were refused including nine with Sports Council for England objections; three were withdrawn; and four were called in.

Mr. Edward Davey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what sports were concerned in respect of each of the 288 planning applications referred between 5 August 1996 and 31 July 1997 to the Sports Council for England. [15163]

Mr. Raynsford

Under the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order, the Sports Council for England is now a statutory consultee in relation to applications for development which affect the use of playing fields. Most playing fields are used for a range of team sports. The Council does not, therefore, have a detailed breakdown of the particular sports affected by the applications referred to them.

Mr. Edward Davey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which bodies were consulted about the terms of the Town and Country Planning (Demolition—Description of Buildings) Direction 1995. [15158]

Mr. Raynsford

In 1991, the Department issued a consultation paper on proposed controls over the demolition of dwellinghouses. This was circulated to a wide range of organisations including the local authority associations, individual local planning authorities, the main planning bodies, builders' organisations and conservation bodies. Two hundred and one responses were received including one from the Sports Council. This resulted in the Town and Country Planning (Demolition—Description of Buildings) Direction 1992 contained in Circular 16/92. Some amendments were introduced in the 1995 Direction following a 1994 consultation exercise with a similar range of bodies on the demolition of walls, fences and gates in conservation areas.

Mr. McDonnell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what procedures exist to monitor the processing of planning applications by local authorities to prevent discrimination on racial grounds. [15284]

Mr. Raynsford

The Government recognises the value of ethnic monitoring and we encourage its use where appropriate. Local planning authorities may wish to request information relating to ethnic origin so that they can monitor the handling of applications. The ethnic origin of an applicant is not a relevant planning consideration and there is no obligation for an applicant to provide this information in order to have a planning application decided.