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Planning
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to (a) speed up and (b) simplify planning procedures. [75303]
Mr. Raynsford: The Government are committed to making the planning system operate more efficiently and effectively. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Regions, Regeneration and Planning set out a range of measures to achieve this in the Modernising Planning Statement he published on 15 January 1998. This included proposals to improve the delivery of local plans and unitary development plans; increase the regional ownership and effectiveness of regional planning guidance; speed up the handling of planning appeals; and improve local planning performance through "Best Value".
The Government have recently published for public consultation a draft revised Planning Policy Guidance note 12 (PPG12) on improving the quality and speed of development plan preparation and a draft PPG11 on more streamlined and inclusive arrangements for regional planning guidance. Good practice guides on development briefs and the one-stop-shop approach to development- related approvals were published in April 1998 and the Department is funding a good practice guide on "Best Value" in planning being drawn up by the Planning Officers' Society. A number of other initiatives are underway, including reviews of consultation procedures for planning applications and of procedures for handling
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listed building consent applications, and inclusion of streamlining planning decisions for business as a theme for the first year of Beacon Councils in the prospectus issued in February 1999.
The Government issued for consultation last year proposals to improve appeal procedures and are currently considering the outcome. Proposals to streamline the handling of major infrastructure projects are being developed for consultation. The Department sets targets for the handling of planning appeals by the Planning Inspectorate. We have recently published improved, long-term targets so that, by 2001-02, the Inspectorate will be expected to decide 80 per cent. of appeals by written representations within 16 weeks; 80 per cent. of appeals by hearing within 22 weeks; and 80 per cent. of appeals by inquiry within 30 weeks.
The Department is continuing to monitor closely local authorities' performance in reaching decisions on planning applications and publishes regular Planning Performance Checklists. My right hon. Friend is currently holding a series of meetings with a selection of local authorities in each English region to discuss what more might be done to improve handling of planning applications as well as development plan preparation and to share good practice. These meetings are part of our wider commitment to work in partnership with local government to deliver a modernised planning system. We have recently agreed with the Local Government Association a Planning Concordat which sets out our shared objectives as the basis for taking our partnership forward.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to increase international protection for big leaf mahogany; and if he will ban its import. [75301]
Mr. Meale:
All populations in the Americas of Big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) are already listed on Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and Annex C of the EC Wildlife Trade Regulation, which implements CITES within the European Union. Imports of Big-leaf mahogany therefore require an export permit or certificate issued by the country of origin before they can enter the EU. In addition, the importer has to provide a notification form. By this close monitoring, the EU aims to ensure that international trade remains at sustainable levels.
Mr. Jenkins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of single regeneration budget money under rounds one to four was targeted on schemes in non-conurbation localities which have areas of multiple deprivation comparable with conurbation areas; and if he will make a statement. [75308]
Mr. Meale:
Support from the SRB is given to partnerships under a bidding process which includes a competitive element. Bids are judged against programme objectives and assessment criteria given in a Bidding Guidance for each round. SRB (Challenge Fund) Rounds 1 to 4 are under way with over 600 regeneration schemes
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being supported. The table gives an estimate of the proportion of SRB Rounds 1-3 resources by seven groupings.
| Area type | Total SRB spend rounds 1-3 estimated £ million | Percentage of total SRB spend |
|---|---|---|
| London Borough | 822 | 26 |
| Metropolitan Cities and Districts | 1,289 | 41 |
| Non-metropolitan Cities | 313 | 10 |
| Districts with industrial areas or new towns | 429 | 14 |
| Resort, port and retirement | 126 | 4 |
| Urban and rural-urban mixed | 83 | 3 |
| Remoter mainly rural | 65 | 2 |
| England | 3,127 | 100 |
Note:
The estimates for rounds 1-3 are based on data from an exercise carried out by the University of Cambridge as part of their evaluation of the SRB--'The distribution of SRB CF Expenditure in relation to Local Area Needs in England' and which was published in March 1998. A similar analysis for Round 4 funding is not yet available.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to tackle the causes of social and economic decline in (a) conurbation localities, (b) non-conurbation localities and (c) rural areas. [75309]
Mr. Meale: Following the Comprehensive Spending Review, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister set out details of the New Deal for Regeneration in his Housing and Regeneration Policy statement on 22 July 1998, which will receive over £3 billion over the next three years. This included a reshaped Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) with about 80 per cent. of new SRB resources targeted on the most deprived areas, based on the 1998 Index of Local Deprivation. SRB resources may contribute to schemes also supported by European funding, including Structural Funds. Also there is a new programme, the New Deal for Communities, which combats social exclusion through focused and intensive neighbourhood renewal, in the most deprived neighbourhoods.
English Partnerships promote job creation, inward investment and environmental improvement by bringing derelict, vacant and contaminated land back into productive use.
Rural areas benefit from resources directed through the SRB. The Rural Challenge Fund previously managed by the Rural Development Commission (RDC) has been incorporated into the SRB and bids covering rural areas will be eligible for SRB support. In addition, the RDC's rural regeneration programmes continue to support a variety of regeneration projects in the rural development areas designated by the RDC, as do English Partnerships and European structural funds in Objective 5b areas. The Government will be setting out their policies for rural England in a White Paper to be published later in the year.
The regional activities of English Partnerships, the administration of the SRB and the RDCs' rural regeneration programmes will transfer to new Regional Development Agencies on 1 April 1999 (from April 2000 in London).
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The Government strongly support the Local Government Association's New Commitment to Regeneration initiative which is seeking a more co-ordinated and flexible approach to regeneration in 22 pathfinder areas through the preparation of comprehensive regeneration strategies for their areas.
The Government will be setting out their policies for cities and towns in an Urban White Paper to be published later this year.
Mr. Linton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he proposes next to implement the periodic electoral review recommendations which he has received from the Local Government Commission for England; what is his policy for implementing future reviews; and if he will make a statement. [76016]
Ms Armstrong:
Where we accept the LGC periodic electoral review recommendations our intention is to implement them as soon as practicable on a normal election day whilst ensuring that no council holds whole council elections in consecutive years.
Accordingly we are now proposing, for those district councils and county councils where final recommendations are received no later than July 2000, and where we accept them, that implementation should be on the normal election day in May 2001. For those district councils and county councils where final recommendations are received between August 2000 and July 2002 and, where we accept them, implementation should be on the normal election day in May 2003.
This means that in May 2001, the normal election day for all county councils in England, there will be additional whole council elections for certain district councils. In May 2003, the normal election day for all whole council district council elections, there will be additional elections for certain county councils.
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