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Rainham Marsh, Havering
Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if English Partnerships has made any determination in respect of the suitability of land at Rainham Marsh in Havering for (a) development and (b) regeneration; and if he will place copies in the Library; [65900]
- (2) if English Partnerships supports the amended planning application made by Havering Borough Council for development on a site of special scientific interest at Rainham Marsh in Havering; and if he will make a statement. [65903]
Mr. Meale:
No determination has been made by English Partnerships as to their possible involvement in the generation or development of the Havering Riverside site (known as Rainham Marsh). The Havering Riverside site is entirely in the ownership of the London Borough of Havering and, being included within the Unitary Development Plan prepared in 1993 has been considered to be of strategic importance to employment generation within the Thames Gateway area. Any development must meet the requirements for nature conservation also set out in the UDP. English Partnerships is one of the partner organisations examining options for its possible development. English Partnerships supports the strategic
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commercial development of this site as far as it is in line with recommendations in the approved Unitary Development Plan.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reasons English Partnerships has made an application for planning permission on a site of special scientific interest at Rainham Marsh in Havering in identical terms to an application previously made by Havering Borough Council; and subsequently withdrew it. [65902]
Mr. Meale:
Following LB Havering's initial outline planning application for development in January 1997, English Partnerships submitted a further identical application in November 1997 in an attempt to deal with the issue of securing benefits for the developing through a Section 106 Agreement. Clearly the Borough cannot submit such an application to itself; to assist the local authority, English Partnership, although in no way committed to this project, therefore became the applicant. That application has now been withdrawn in response to improvements embodied in the London Borough of Havering's amended scheme. The Council is in consultation with both English Nature, English Heritage and other environmental groups, on the environmental implications of the application proposals. All parties are
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now collaborating to prepare a full environment impact assessment in an attempt to reconcile the competing interests on the site.
Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what powers English Partnerships possesses to (a) make and (b) support planning applications on land in respect of which he has not given directions or consent as to its suitability for (a) regeneration and (b) development; [65904]
Mr. Meale:
The powers of English Partnerships, contained in the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 are directed at its main statutory objective of securing the regeneration of land, across England, which is contaminated, derelict, vacant, unused or likely to become so. In pursuit of this objective the Agency can acquire, hold, manage, reclaim, improve and dispose of land, plant machinery, equipment and other property; give financial assistance to other persons (including for use on environmental improvements); and generally do anything necessary or expedient for the purposes of its objects or for purposes incidental to those purposes. Section 167 of the Act provides for the Secretary of State to issue guidance or directions. Guidance was issued to English Partnerships in April 1994 on which land is suitable for regeneration or development or how it is to exercise its functions. No guidance or directions have been issued since that time, and no guidance, directions or consents have been issued with respect to Rainham Marshes. English Partnerships is free to make planning applications on the same basis as any other applicant.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 16 December 1998, Official Report, columns 539-40, if he will make a statement on the way in which the Government will take into account future financial settlements with regards to the increased costs to local authorities of increased public access to the countryside. [66057]
Ms Armstrong:
We shall be consulting further with the Local Government Association on the financial implications for local authorities of our proposals for increasing public access to the countryside. The need for revenue expenditure by local authorities will be taken into account, along with other spending pressures and the scope for efficiencies, in a future local government finance settlement.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his Department's current estimate for the (a) completion and (b) commissioning of the Jubilee Line Extension. [66639]
Dr. Reid:
London Transport plan to open the Jubilee Line Extension in three phases (firstly Stratford to North Greenwich, then on to Waterloo and finally to Green Park and connection with the existing Jubilee Line).
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Commissioning will thus overlap with the final completion of the construction and fitting out work. Commissioning work is already in hand. London Transport aims to have all three phases commissioned and in operation by the autumn.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many of the country's estuaries (a) have been and (b) are currently being investigated for barrage schemes. [66371]
Mr. Raynsford:
This information is not kept centrally.
(2) what (a) directions and (b) consents have been given to English Partnerships relating to the possible (i) regeneration and (ii) development of Rainham Marsh; and if he will place copies in the Library. [65899]
| Location | Barrage type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Hull | Flood surge | Built |
| Breydon Water (Norfolk) | Flood surge | Under investigation |
| River Colne (Essex) | Flood surge | Built |
| Thames | Flood surge | Built |
| River Truro (Cornwall) | Flood surge | Built |
| River Hayle (Cornwall) | Flood surge/amenity | Built |
| Swansea | Amenity | Built |
| Cardiff Bay | Amenity | Under construction |
| River Usk (Newport) | Amenity | Proposed |
| Tees | Amenity | Built |
| River Adur (West Sussex) | Amenity | Proposed |
| Severn | Tidal power | Proposed |
| Mersey | Tidal power | Proposed |
| Duddon (Cumbria) | Road barrage | Proposed |
| The Wash | Water supply | Proposed |
| Morecambe Bay | Water supply | Proposed |
Contaminated Metals
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what information he has received since May 1997 from (a) the Environment Agency and (b) Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, concerning interception of illegally imported radioactively contaminated metals; and what arrangements are in place to stop the recycling of imported contaminated metals. [66430]
Mr. Meale: Reports of such incidents are received from the Radioactive Substances Sub-Group of the UK Interpol Environment Crime Group. Since April 1997 we have received information about 5 incidents involving the interception of illegally imported radioactive contaminated metals.
Imports of radioactively contaminated materials into the UK are regulated by the Environment Agency (EA) in England and Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland, under the Transfrontier Shipment of Radioactive Waste Regulations 1993 and Council Regulation 1493/93 on shipments of radioactive substances between Member States. The reuse or recycling of such materials is regulated by EA and SEPA under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993.
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Mr. Stunell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take steps to ensure that the benefits of wind power in terms of pollution are given greater weight by planning inspectors when considering planning applications for wind-farms. [66329]
Mr. Raynsford:
Inspectors must give appropriate weight to all material planning considerations when considering wind-farm proposals on a case by case basis.
Mr. Stunell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many wind-farm projects have been refused planning permission in each of the last five years; [66226]
Mr. Raynsford:
This information is not held by the Department and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Most planning applications are dealt with by local planning authorities.
(2) how many wind energy projects have been built in the last three years. [66227]
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