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University Bursaries

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what support from university bursary schemes has been proposed for students from families with joint incomes above (a) £22,500 and (b) £33,533; which universities offer such support; and if he will estimate (i) the number of students likely to be helped and (ii) the total value of such help in the next three years. [189078]

Dr. Howells: The level of bursary and other financial support and the criteria for eligibility, will be a matter for the universities themselves to decide how to implement and operate, subject to approval by the Director of Fair Access to Higher Education. We expect institutions that wish to charge higher fees from 2006 to draw up their access plans, including details of bursary and other financial support, this autumn.

I have also commissioned Sir Alan Langlands to oversee a report on how the public sector and the professions can sustain and improve recruitment opportunities for graduates, especially those who do not qualify for the full £3,000 support.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

High Hedges

Mr. Wood: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will issue guidance to local authorities in respect of provisions to address problems with high hedges contained in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003. [189504]

Phil Hope: Draft guidance to local authorities on dealing with complaints about high hedges under the provisions in Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 was issued for public consultation on 29 March. The consultation closed on 30 June and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is now finalising the guidance and other operational details before bringing this Part of the Act into effect. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects this will be towards the end of 2004.

Town Centre Regeneration

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how much has been given in grants to redevelop town centres in the last 12 months; [189227]

(2) if he will make a statement on funding for regeneration of town centres. [189235]

Keith Hill: This Government are fully committed to ensuring the regeneration of our town and city centres. It is a vital element in meeting a wide range of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's objectives, including the development of sustainable communities.

There are no statistics held centrally as to how much has been given in grants to redevelop town centres. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost. While it is not clear as to the exact proportion that is spent on town centres specifically, in the current financial year (2004–05) nearly £3.27 billion of Government funding has been allocated to regeneration programmes of all kinds. This is due to increase to £3.55 billion in 2005–06.
 
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Funding for town and city centre regeneration can be secured from a wide range of different sources, and is being carried out through partnership working across central and local government, regeneration agencies and local stakeholders. The nature of local economic growth and the development of town and city centres requires local authorities to determine local policies which meet the specific needs of their area. To do so they need to develop their own strategies and prioritise resources, which will vary in each case.

Funding for the regeneration of town and city centres can be secured from sources including the Single Regeneration Budget, European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund, the lottery, New Deal for Communities, Regional Development Agencies, English Partnerships, Urban Regeneration Companies, local government, Business Improvement Districts, section 106 agreements, and private sector funding.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on future plans for the regeneration of (a) the London borough of Havering and (b) Romford town centre. [189228]

Phil Hope: Government plans for Havering include an investment of £6 million to improve the public transport interchange at Rainham station through the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Thames Gateway Programme. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is also supporting the opening up of Rainham Marshes, providing £2 million to enable the public to have improved access to the Marshes.

Future plans include proposals for Havering Riverside, which is identified as a major location for growth in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's "Creating Sustainable Communities" (published July 2003) and is an Opportunity Area in the London Plan. The regeneration strategy will be taken forward by the Mayor, the London Borough of Havering and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation through the East London sub-regional development framework.

The London Plan sets the framework for the scale of growth of Romford within London and the east London sub-region. The Mayor of London's sub regional development framework, currently in preparation, will also address the issue of regeneration in Romford. However, the main vehicle for bringing forward detailed proposals is the review of the Unitary Development Plan.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the implications for revitalising town and city centres of the Government's plans to build more new and affordable homes. [189229]

Keith Hill: No specific assessment has been made of the implications for revitalising town and city centres of the Government's plans to build more new and affordable homes.

However, there is considerable evidence of urban renaissance in towns and cities across the country, and much of this recent investment has included residential development.
 
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Major mixed use developments like the new Bull Ring in Birmingham, and investment in new or improved civic squares, high quality architecture like the Lowry Centre in Salford, the Urbis Building in Manchester, the Winter Gardens in Sheffield and the Newcastle-Gateshead Millennium Bridge, have played a key role in encouraging population growth in town and city centres.

For example, Manchester's city centre population rose from under 1,000 in 1991 to over 15,000 today. Liverpool's has increased from 2,300 to more than 9,000 over the same period. Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol have experienced similar growth.

In short, revitalising town and city centres is a vital element in delivering the government's housing plans.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of the Government's Sustainable Communities Plan on town centres which are not included in the Plan, with particular reference to Romford. [189231]

Phil Hope: "Sustainable Communities: building for the future" is a policy document, which identifies growth areas, including Thames Gateway, but also refers to growth across London. Proposals in "Sustainable Communities" have to be tested through the normal regional and local plan making process, and any specific proposals for development would be the subject of planning applications. The impact of the proposals, including any impact on nearby town centres, would be considered through these processes.

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on regeneration of town centres in London. [189232]

Keith Hill: Government policy, set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 6 (Town Centres and Retail Development) seeks to encourage regeneration of town centres.

Within London, policy on the regeneration of town centres is principally a matter for the Mayor of London and the London boroughs. The London Plan sets out the general policy of promoting the strategic importance of London's town centres in accommodating economic growth, meeting the needs of Londoners and improving the sustainability of London's development. It also seeks to ensure that there is a robust strategy for each town centre taking account of the relationship with nearby centres. The local development frameworks to be prepared by the London boroughs will ensure that there is full community involvement in the development of regeneration proposals and are intended to promote a positive approach to managing development.

Brownfield/Greenfield Land

Llew Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his estimate is of the area of (a) brownfield land and (b) greenfield land that will be used to deliver his Department's household projections in England by 2021 published on 8 September. [189340]

Keith Hill: The Government do not make estimates of land required to deliver household projections as it is the responsibility of Regional Planning Bodies and Local Planning Authorities to consider the amount of land
 
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needed for housing. However, the Government are committed to maximising the re-use of brownfield land. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister set a target that by 2008, 60 per cent. of additional housing should be provided on previously-developed land and through conversions of existing buildings. In 2002 the actual proportion was 66 per cent.

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires Regional Planning Bodies to prepare statutory Regional Spatial Strategies, replacing existing Regional Planning Guidance. These strategies will be required to identify the amount and distribution of housing in each region having regard to the Government's latest published household projections and national planning policy for housing as set out in PPG3. They will also need to consider other factors including the needs of the regional economy, environmental implications and the capacity of urban areas and existing or planned infrastructure to accommodate new housing.

Where the amount and location of previously-developed land varies across regions, Regional Planning Bodies and Local Planning Authorities are expected to work together to focus new housing in areas where previously-developed land is available in preference to developing greenfield sites. They should set out in their Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Frameworks targets for land recycling which contribute to the national target.

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