§ Mr. GrieveTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will make a statement concerning the proposed sale of Broadspring wood, Denham, Buckinghamshire by the Highways Agency; [36090]
(2) what steps (a) the Highways Agency and (b) his Department have taken to stop (i) the dumping of spoil materials, (ii) the creation of bunds and a car park area and (iii) the introduction of pre-fabricated buildings in Broadspring wood, Denham, Buckinghamshire, [36093]
(3) when the Highways Agency learned that the Uxbridge gun club was (a) bringing spoil material into Broadspring wood, Denham, Buckinghamshire and (b) creating car parking areas and bunds, therein; [36091]
(4) when the decision was taken by the Highways Agency to sell Broadspring wood, Denham, Buckinghamshire, to the Uxbridge gun club. [36092]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe decision was taken by the Highways Agency to sell Broadspring Wood, Denham, Buckinghamshire to the Uxbridge and District Rifle Club on 16 August 2001 following professional advice and opinion on its status, condition and potential. The Club had operating on the land under Licence since 1 June 2000. There were no concerns raised about their activities.
The Highways Agency learned that the Uxbridge and District Rifle Club were bringing spoil material into Broadspring Wood, Denham Buckinghamshire and were creating car parking areas and bunds in November 2001.
A letter was sent to the Uxbridge and District Rifle Club on 21 November 2001 requesting that no further activity of any sort was carried out on site. A letter was also sent from our solicitors on 23 November 2001 addressed to the solicitor acting for the Rifle Club requesting that the depositing or permitting to be deposited of waste material on the site and access ways leading to it be stopped immediately. A second letter was sent by the Highways Agency on 1 February 2002 pointing out that we were aware that the Rifle Club had changed the use of the land by the inclusion of bunding on the land and using it as a combat area, that this should stop and the Rifle Club should use the land as set out in their licence. The Highways Agency was unaware of the introduction of pre-fabricated buildings in Broadspring Wood until now. The Highways Agency have arranged for their Managing Agent to urgently inspect the land and provide a report.
The sale of this land from the Highways Agency to the Uxbridge and District Rifle Club was agreed in good faith last summer. However, following these most recent events officials in the Highways Agency are conducting a full review of the case.