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8.33 pm
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Ms Beverley Hughes): I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Castle Point (Mrs. Butler) on securing the debate. I welcome the opportunity to reassure her of the Government's desire to encourage new economic development and investment in Canvey Island and the whole of south-east Essex, and to reiterate our commitment to regional planning.
I am aware that, in recent years, south-east Essex may not have prospered to the same extent as some other parts of the south-east region. The area has much to recommend it, as my hon. Friend made clear. It is rich in history and has areas of countryside that are important for nature conservation, and some prestigious new shopping and leisure developments.
However, like my hon. Friend, I am conscious that there are still pockets of previously used land, especially on the Thames estuary, that suffer from dereliction and contamination and where improvements to the environment are a priority. There is a need to attract new jobs to the area, and to create opportunities for local people to learn new skills and make more rewarding use of their existing skills. We also want to reduce the number of people who have to leave the area every day to work elsewhere. I know that such daily commuting adds to the congestion that is a common occurrence, especially for those trying to get in and out of Canvey Island.
Regeneration of the area in accordance with the principles of sustainability to which the Government are committed must be a clear objective, and we will do all that we can to encourage that process. Regeneration can best be achieved through partnership and co-operation between local authorities, local people and local businesses. My hon. Friend talked about a local partnership.
The policies and proposals in the Castle Point local plan and the emerging Essex and Southend replacement structure plan, which have been subject to full public consultation and debate, set out the strategy for future development in the area. It is right that decisions about the scale and location of new development, whether intended to provide houses or jobs, should be made by local people. However, there is also a strong regional dimension, which my hon. Friend recognises.
Local authority development plans are part of a framework, which must continue to be set by regional planning guidance, so that what happens in south-east Essex is not divorced from the spatial strategy for the wider region. It is the role of regional planning guidance to consider whether there are, regionally or sub- regionally, suitable areas or broad locations for major housing, business, retail and leisure uses.
At regional level, regional development agencies can play an important role in encouraging and attracting economic investment to areas such as south-east Essex,
where that is urgently needed, and in supporting regeneration. The RDAs for the eastern and south-eastern regions have published their strategies for improving the region's economic performance and enhancing its competitiveness. They will need to be reflected in the final RPGs for those regions.
I do not need to remind the House of the changes we have made to the preparation of regional planning guidance. From being top-down statements of generality under the previous Administration, we intend that they should from now on embody an agreed spatial strategy for each region. The strategy will be agreed by the interests in the region. Those groups will integrate spatial planning with economic and transport planning and incorporate a more sustainable approach, bearing in mind the needs of local communities such as those that my hon. Friend described, and those who live, work and take their leisure in the area.
As my hon. Friend knows, RPG is subject to a public examination. Preparation of RPG for the south-east and the East Anglia is now at an advanced stage.
As the House knows, Serplan's draft RPG for the south-east has been subject to public consultation and a public examination. It is now necessary, following the public examination, for the Secretary of State to consider the panel's report and all the representations that have been made on the draft RPG. We want sustainable development in the south-east to be the basis for continued economic growth. We cannot carry on building in the dispersed pattern encouraged by the previous Government. However, as has been illuminated in the wider debates, including recent debates in the House, since Serplan published the draft RPG there are clearly some issues that need to be carefully addressed before we go forward to the final RPG.
We hope to be able to publish proposed changes to the draft RPG shortly, and my hon. Friend will understand that I cannot say more at this time about those changes. However, they will be subject to full public consultation.
My hon. Friend has made a powerful case for the Thames gateway to be extended beyond its present boundaries to include Canvey Island, and I understand her desire for that to be given the green light. There is no doubt that the whole of the Thames gateway, from London to Essex and north Kent, offers huge potential. We have a range of sites, acres of development land and a real commitment from central and local government. The Government are committed to co-ordinating the delivery of policies at a level never seen before and recognising the importance of an approach that combines environmental, economic and social objectives. We are working with partners, especially local authorities and regional development agencies, to bring together the support available and needed to make sure that the Thames gateway is developed in a way that maximises the benefits for everyone. As the economies in the Thames gateway prosper, we expect them to bring beneficial spin-offs to neighbouring areas, including those in Essex.
The proposed extension of the Thames gateway boundary to include not only Canvey Island but the whole of Castle Point plus Southend, part of Basildon and the area of Thurrock fronting the river that is not currently within the gateway is strongly advocated by Essex county council and the district authorities concerned. As my hon. Friend said, it has been raised by Serplan as part of the
review of RPG for the south-east. Serplan's draft RPG emphasises that the Thames gateway remains a key regional priority and states that its designation should be extended to include Castle Point, Southend and part of Basildon. The draft RPG also identifies the extended Thames gateway, embracing south-east Essex, as a priority area for economic regeneration--a specific priority area.
As my hon. Friend pointed out, the Crow panel report--the report on the public examination of Serplan's report--did not consider an alteration of the Thames gateway boundary to be necessary, so there is a conflict between it and Serplan's recommendations. I know that that is one of her concerns. As I said in relation to the draft RPG as a whole, I cannot therefore comment on the merits of the proposed boundary extension at this time--I know that she understands this--because that would
pre-empt the formal consultation process and the Secretary of State's consideration of the matter, which he is actively undertaking at present. However, I can say to her that the Government are under no obligation to follow the Crow report blindly. We are taking account of the panel's recommendation in the light of all the material factors and making an assessment of how the regeneration of the Thames gateway and those areas adjacent to it can best be achieved. We have before us the different views from Serplan and the district councils on the one hand and the panel on the other.
My hon. Friend has made a strong case and I have heard her very clearly. I shall ensure that her views are fully considered. I thank her for giving me the opportunity to provide that assurance and to make those points to the House.
Question put and agreed to.
3 Feb 2000 : Column 1333Adjourned accordingly at eighteen minutes to Nine o'clock.
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