HL Deb 26 October 1998 vol 593 cc192-3WA
Lord Inglewood

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, following publication of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions report, The Impact of Large Foodstores on Market Towns and District Centres, they intend to call in any planning applications for large foodstores, particularly the proposals currently under consideration at Kirkby Lonsdale. [HL3426]

Lord Whitty

The Government's planning policies on retailing and town centres remain as set out in PPG6 (Planning Policy Guidance note 6). The recent research supports this policy. I commend this report to local authorities, which are primarily responsible for determining planning applications. We have no plans to add to the existing guidelines on the Government's call-in policy. Call-in depends on the circumstances of each case; the call-in power is used very sparingly. The Government are currently considering whether the recent retail application in Kirkby Lonsdale should be called in.