Petitions
Tuesday 14 July 2009
PRESENTED PETITION
Petition presented to the House but not read on the Floor
Taxis (Liverpool)
The humble petition of Mr Alan Watterson, of 81 Elm Vale Liverpool, the residents and taxi drivers of Wavertree Constituency and surrounding area.
Sheweth, that the livelihoods of the legitimate taxi and private hire trade in Liverpool are severely affected by the cross-border hiring of vehicles licensed in neighbouring boroughs; also sheweth that the safety and well-being of the taxi-using public is put at risk by the use of such un-licensed vehicles as their insurance is nullified.
Wherefore your petitioners pray that your Honourable House urges the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to consider amending the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to require taxis and private hire vehicles to return to the licensing area when they have completed a hiring that terminates outside of that area,
And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc -[Presented by Jane Kennedy .]
OBSERVATIONS
Communities and Local Government
Greenbelt Development (Essex)
The Petition of Ashleigh Sharp and others,
Declares that building on Canvey's flood plain, school fields and green land is totally unacceptable and that what Canvey really needs is an additional access road from the Northwick area; welcomes the recent referendum which was professionally organised and conducted by Graham Bracci and others, taken over the last few weeks on Canvey Island, in which 6,534 people voted of whom 99.13 per cent. supported the motion that there should be no further development on Canvey Island greenbelt land; also welcomes the Constituency wide 'Save Castle Point Greenbelt' campaign which was launched by Bob Spink MP in March 2007 and the subsequent localised save the greenbelt campaigns such as that to stop development on Daws Heath; and notes the overwhelming view of Castle Point residents that their greenbelt should be protected and totally rejects the suggestion by Castle Point Councillors that residents implicitly agree with their Core Strategy plan to build on greenbelt.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to encourage Essex County and Castle Point Borough Councillors to respect the flood plain, rescind plans to sell off part of Castle View School playing field, protect Castle Point greenbelt in its core strategy and make the Canvey additional access road their priority.
And the Petitioners remain, etc. -[Presented by Bob Spink , Official Report, 1 June 2009; Vol. 493, c. 136 .]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government:
The Government understands the residents concern's about the future of playing field space, but it is the Government's general approach not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so. Parliament has entrusted them with responsibility for day-to-day planning control in their areas as they are normally best placed to make decisions relating to their areas and it is right that, in general, they should be free to carry out their duties responsibly, with the minimum of interference.
I understand from Castle Point Borough Council that no planning application has yet been made to them in respect of this proposal. When an application has been made, the Council will be required to publicise it in order that the public and other interested parties may make known their views. They should also be guided by the policies and advice set out in the Department's Planning Policy Guidance Notes, Statements (PPGs and PPS's) and planning circulars.
The Government's statements of national planning policy, such as Planning Policy Guidance 2 "Green Belts", are material considerations which must be taken into account, where relevant, in planning decisions, but it is the responsibility of the local planning authority to identify and weigh up all the different issues, in the context of the specific local circumstances, having regard to the views of local residents and other interested parties.
Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25), Development and Flood Risk, provides the policy framework for local planning authorities to avoid, manage and reduce flood risk to new development without exposure to unnecessary flood risk. This is supported by the Practice Guide published in June 2008 to assist local planners in implementing PPS25 policy.
It should be noted that the 'Core Strategy Proposed Publication Document' as the strategic plan forming part of the Local Development Framework' (LDF), does not allocate any sites as such but indicates the broad locations where the development will occur.
I understand through discussions with the Council that the site referred to is identified within their Core Spatial Strategy for housing purposes. The consultation concluded on 20 March 2009.
While there is an urgent need for more housing development in this country, the location of new housing is very important, to ensure new development is in sustainable locations. It is also important amongst many other issues, that the character of settlements are protected as appropriate, and that the countryside is protected for its own sake if appropriate to do so.
Any proposed access road to Canvey Island is the responsibility for Essex County Council, as local highway authority.
Should the Council, in liaison with Castle Point Borough Council, decide to promote such a scheme, it would need to obtain the East of England region's agreement to prioritise the scheme for funding within its Regional Funding Allocation for major transport schemes. The Council would then need to submit a detailed Major Scheme Business Case for the scheme, in line with Departmental guidance, for consideration and assessment by my Department.
Alternatively, the Council could seek funding from its own or through third party sources.
Planning and Development (Somerset)
The Petition of residents of the Taunton constituency and others,
Declares that the Petitioners are extremely concerned that the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West requires the creation of 21,800 new homes in Taunton Deane within the next 20 years; and notes that the residents of Taunton Deane have had no recourse to decide on the suitability of the plan locally despite the significant impact such large scale development will have on living standards in the local area.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to reassess its commitment to the over development of Taunton Deane and bring forward a revised option which strikes a more appropriate balance between the need for greater affordable housing and the quality of life in Taunton Deane.
And the Petitioners remain, etc. -[Presented by Mr. Jeremy Browne , Official Report, 10 June 2009; Vol. 493, c. 907 .]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government:
Proposed changes to the draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy were the subject of public consultation between July and October 2008. I regret that therefore no new representations can be taken into account now, as to do so would be unfair to other respondents.
I planned to publish the RSS at the end of June 2009. However, on 20 May, the High Court issued a judgment that the previously issued Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England had failed to meet certain requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive, in respect of three towns.
The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Government Office for the South West are considering the implications for the South West Regional Spatial Strategy, but cannot reach a clear view until the written judgment is issued by the Court. Setting a new timetable for the final publication of the SW RSS is not possible, until the implications of the judgment have been clarified, and what action is required, if any.
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