§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will introduce proposals for a statutory duty to consult local residents on major infrastructure projects. [6565]
§ Ms KeebleThe local planning authority already has a statutory duty to advertise major development in a newspaper and either issue a site notice or notify neighbours.
The new measures for streamlining the handling of major infrastructure projects announced by my right hon. Friend on 20 July 2001 will ensure opportunities for the public to make their views known through consultation about statements of national infrastructure policy, a right to object before Parliament considers the principle of major infrastructure projects, and at public inquiries into the detailed aspects of projects.
§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what definition of a Crown development is used by his Department in relation to infrastructure projects. [6566]
§ Ms Keeble"Crown development" is the common usage term for development by or on behalf of the Crown on Crown land, and as such is not defined in statute.
"Crown land" is defined in section 293 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as land where there is a Crown interest or a Duchy interest. "Crown interest" means an interest belonging to Her Majesty in right of the Crown or belonging to a Government Department or held in trust for Her Majesty for the purposes of a Government Department. "Duchy interest" means an interest belonging to Her Majesty in right of the Duchy of Lancaster or belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall.
There is no special meaning attached to "crown development" in relation to infrastructure projects.