§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those properties held by his Department and agencies responsible to him which are(a) wholly and (b) mainly unoccupied at present, giving locations and when they became so unoccupied in each case. [105305]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 19 January 2000]: The information requested is set out as follows:
Properties wholly vacant
1. Former Buffer Depot, Nant Alyn Road, Rhydymwyn, Mold, Flint—closed 30 March 1994.This site is contaminated as a result of wartime use and cannot be disposed of until the contamination is removed.2. Former Buffer Depot, Abergwili Road, Abergwili, Carmarthen—closed 28 March 1991.Despite a number of marketing campaigns, it has proved impossible to find a purchaser willing to pay a reasonable price for this property.3. Former Buffer Depot, Caton Road, Claughton, Lancs—closed 31 March 1994.A purchaser has been identified and sale arrangements are in hand.4. Former Buffer Depot, New Street, Earl Shilton, Hinckley, Leics—closed 17 March 1994.A purchase has been identified and sale arrangements are in hand.5. Former Buffer Depot, Little Glen Road, Glen Parva, Leicester—closed 31 March 1993.The sale of this site should be completed within the next month or so.6. Former Buffer Depot, Melbourne Place, Sowerby, N. Yorks—closed 31 July 1991.It has taken far longer than anticipated to establish the planning status of this site. It will be marketed shortly.7. Former Buffer Depot, Trentside, Gunthorpe, Nottingham—closed 17 March 1994.Negotiations are under way to sell this property back to the successors of the former owner under the terms of the Crichel Down rules.14W8. Former Buffer Depot, Kendal Road, Harlescott, Shrewsbury—closed 23 March 1995.The site will be marketed when an appeal against a rejection of an application for planning consent is determined.9. Former Buffer Depot, 5 Almondbank, Perth—closed 29 September 1995.MAFF's agents advise that marketing of this site should be delayed until the planning status of an adjacent site is established.10. Former Central Science Laboratory, Torry Research Station, 135 Abbey Road, Aberdeen—closed 31 August 1996.A purchaser has been identified and sale arrangements are in hand.11. Former Central Science Laboratory, Hatching Green, Harpenden, Herts—closed 1 December 1996.A purchaser has been identified and sale arrangements are in hand.12. Land and dwellings at Worthing Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex—vacated on various dates between January 1996 and May 1999.An application for planning consent has been submitted and we await the outcome.13. Land at Ware Road, Hoddesdon, Hertford—originally vacated in 1989,We are co-operating with the Health Authority, who own adjacent land, with a view to establishing a planning designation and joint marketing arrangements.Properties mainly vacant
14. Crown House, Sittingbourne Road, Kent—mainly vacated in October 1992.15. Offices in Albert Dock, Hull—mainly vacated in June 1996.