Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nick Boles and Hugh Bayley

Monday 17th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Stuart Andrew (Pudsey) (Con)]

8. What plans he has to require that all brownfield sites within a local authority should be developed before planning permission is granted to build on green belt land.

[Hugh Bayley (York Central) (Lab)]

11. What plans his Department has to bring forward proposals to encourage commercial development on brownfield sites.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Nick Boles)]

The national planning policy framework encourages local authorities to reuse brownfield land that is not of high environmental value. It also maintains strong protections for the green belt, making it clear that most forms of new development are inappropriate in the green belt.

--- Later in debate ---

[Nick Boles]

I would be delighted to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency. I know that he has worked tremendously hard with the Rawdon Billing Action Group and with Save Kirklees Knoll to ensure that those precious green spaces are not developed in the future. I can assure him, for now, that there is nothing to stop Leeds city council maintaining the protection of green-belt land in its local plan.

[Hugh Bayley]

York has some important brownfield developments, including part of the Nestlé factory site that is surplus to requirements, as well as a former British Sugar factory site and York Central, a huge site next to the station. What are the Government doing to ensure that Growing Places money is delivered to help to develop that kind of site?

[Nick Boles]

We have allocated £330 million to this, but I would point out to the hon. Gentleman that his city council has not had a formally adopted local plan for 40 years. I hope that he will join me in pressing his colleagues on York city council to get on with it and to draw up such a plan, because that would give his constituents much more influence over the development in their area.