Community Plan Areas

HC Deb 11 March 2004 vol 418 cc1709-10W

Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to extend further community plan areas. [159960]

Keith Hill

The London-Stansted-Cambridge Growth Area was extended to include Peterborough on 2 February 2004. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no current plans to extend further any of the Sustainable Communities Plan Growth areas.

On 2 February, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the Government would be working with the Regional Development Agencies, and other public and private sector partners, on a new long-term growth strategy for the north. This new vision for the north, 'The Northern Way', seeks to develop a real ambition in the north about the long term potential for growth by fully exploring the opportunities for growth along the economic and transport corridors that connect the three northern regions. The focus is therefore different from the existing housing growth areas or market renewal pathfinders.