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21 Feb 2008 : Column 896W—continued
Although we have no formal target, we aim to provide an initial response within 56 days. This aspiration was based on the response times in 2003-04, but the complexity of applications since then has meant that the response time has regrettably been longer than we wish. We have, however, reduced the time taken in each of the last two years and aim to further reduce the time taken in future years.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings his Department has had with wind farm (a) companies, (b) organisations and (c) associations to discuss objections to wind farm applications on the grounds of radar clutter in the last 12 months; and what the outcome was of such meetings. [184411]
Derek Twigg: Many meetings take place with wind farm stakeholders covering numerous issues, including radar clutter. The Ministry of Defence has a number of concerns with turbines over and above effects on radar; for example, low flying and seismometers. Moreover, wind turbines have a number of effects on radar of which clutter is only one.
The information requested is therefore not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests for meetings the Department or Defence Estates has received from wind farm developers to discuss objections to wind farm applications on the grounds of radar clutter were declined in each of the last three years; and what the reasons were for the requests being declined. [184412]
Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many wind farm projects submitted to the Defence Estates using his Department's developers pro forma were rejected in each of the last three years; and what percentage of projects this represented in each of the years concerned. [184416]
Derek Twigg: At the pre-planning stage, Defence Estates does not reject applications, but makes developers aware of concerns which the Ministry of Defence would wish addressed before a formal planning application is submitted. In each of the past three years, the number of wind energy pre-planning consultations received by Defence Estates with which it raised concerns is:
| Number of wind energy pre-planning consultations to which the MOD raised concerns | Percentage of total wind energy pre-planning consultations received by MOD | |
These figures include both offshore and onshore applications.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings the Department has held with wind farm (a) developers and (b) consultants to consider allowing on site his Department's technical and operational staff to discuss with the developers technical issues for specific sites; how many requests for such meetings with developers have been rejected by his Department; and whether it is his policy to allow such meetings to take place in normal circumstances. [184418]
Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is always willing to do what is practicable to engage with developers and their consultants to address concerns with proposed wind turbines.
In some cases a meeting will be appropriate to discuss issues, including any mitigation being proposed. In such instances the MOD personnel participating in those meetings will be decided according to the requirements of the case to be discussed.
However, the Department has held no meetings, with either wind farm developers or wind farm consultants, with the specific purpose of considering whether to allow MOD personnel from affected sites to discuss with developers technical issues for those sites. Neither has the MOD declined requests for such meetings.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what pre-application enquiries to his Department or Defence Estates for onshore wind turbines received an objection from his Department in each of the last three years; and what percentage this represented of the overall number of pre-application enquiries received. [184431]
Derek Twigg: The total numbers of onshore wind energy pre-planning consultations received by the MOD with which the MOD raised concerns in each of the past three years are:
| Number of onshore wind energy preplanning consultations to which the MOD raised concerns | Percentage of total wind energy preplanning consultations received by MOD | |
Nick Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what planning applications for onshore wind turbines have received an objection from the Department in each of the last three years; at what stage of the planning
process these objections were lodged; and what percentage this represented of the overall number of onshore wind farm applications to which his Department had been invited to respond. [184432]
Derek Twigg: In each of the last three years, the number of onshore wind energy planning applications to which this Department objected is:
| Total number of planning applications received | Number of onshore wind energy planning applications to which the MOD objected | Percentage of total number of objections raised to wind energy planning applications | |
Records show that on only one occasion was a Ministry of Defence (MOD) objection lodged after the application was considered by the appropriate consenting authority. In that case planning permission had been refused and the developer lodged an appeal. The planning Inspectorate granted the MOD permission to participate in the inquiry, which has been postponed to allow further discussion regarding the MOD's objections.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what planning applications for onshore wind turbines the Department did not initially object to but objected to during a public inquiry in the last three years; and what the reason was for the objection in each case. [184433]
Derek Twigg: There has been no occasion on which the Ministry of Defence objected to a planning application for an onshore wind farm development during a public inquiry after previously not raising an objection.
Communities and Local Government
Aggregates: Environment Protection
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the environmental effects of extraction of primary aggregates. [185220]
Mr. Iain Wright: My Department has not assessed the environmental impact caused by the extraction of primary aggregates.
DEFRA’s Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund has funded research on some of the impacts of extraction through its allocations to CLG, the Mineral Industry Research Organisation (MIRO) and English Heritage. A series of benchmark reports identifying the latest developments in good practice in managing these impacts is due to be launched by MIRO and English Heritage on 12 March 2008. A consultation is currently under way on the priorities for the ALSF from 2008 to 2011 including proposals on research covering the environmental costs of primary aggregates.
Aggregates: Recycling
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to (a) encourage the use of recycled and secondary aggregates and (b) reduce the use of primary aggregates. [185216]
Mr. Iain Wright: My Department is responsible for Minerals Policy Statement 1, ‘Planning and Minerals’, which sets out the policy which mineral planning authorities have to have regard in drawing up their mineral plans. The policy statement promotes a hierarchical approach to minerals supply, aiming first to reduce as far as practicable the quantity of material used, then to use as much recycled and secondary material as possible, before finally securing the remainder of material needed from primary extraction.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of aggregates from demolished buildings was recycled in the latest period for which figures are available. [185226]
Mr. Iain Wright: In England there are three sources of supply of construction aggregates: land won sand and gravel and crushed rock; marine dredged sand and gravel; and aggregates recycled from construction, demolition and excavation waste (CDEW). Of the 202 million tonnes total consumption of aggregates in 2005 aggregates from CDEW contributed about 50 million tonnes.
In managing aggregates supply my Department collects biennially high level data of the contribution CDEW makes to national aggregates supply which is
published as the ‘Survey of Arisings and Use of Alternatives to Primary Aggregates in England.’ The last survey was for 2005 and the survey report is available for download from the Department's website
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningand building/pdf/surveyconstruction2005
However we do not disaggregate the data to distinguish the amount of material arising from the demolition of buildings separately from other sources.
Central Manchester Development Corporation: Archives
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government where the archives of the Central Manchester Development Corporation are kept. [187693]
Mr. Dhanda: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold the records of the Central Manchester Development Corporation centrally. However some of the records are archived within the registry at Government office for the north-west.
Council Tax: Tax Rates and Bands
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses in the Peterborough City Council area were in each council tax band in each year since 1997. [187244]
John Healey: Details of the number of dwellings in each council tax band in the Peterborough city council area in each year since 1997 are shown in the following table.
| Number of dwellings | |||||||||
| Band A | Band B | Band C | Band D | Band E | Band F | Band G | Band H | ||
| Valuation band ranges | Under £40,000 | 40,001 to £52,000 | £52,001 to £68,000 | £68,001 to £88,000 | £88,001 to £120,000 | £120,001 to £160,000 | £160,001 to £320,000 | Over £320,000 | Total |
| (1 )Within an authority, the council tax for each valuation band is a fixed ratio to that for Band D. For example, a Band A dwelling will pay 6/9 the Band D amount, and a Band H dwelling w ill pay twice the Band D amount. | |||||||||
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