§ Mrs. ShephardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will give the reasons for not calling in the planning applications for a new ground for Coventry City Football Club, retail and other development at Foleshill Gasworks. [73564]
§ Mr. PrescottIt is not my Department's practice to give reasons for not calling in planning applications. The Courts have endorsed this view.
Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, my power to call in planning applications is discretionary and I exercise it very selectively. My policy is not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so.
Having had regard to our procedures and all our planning policy guidance, I did not consider that it was appropriate to call in the application for Arena 2000.