New clause 5 - Crown
Planning and Compulsory Purchase (Re-committed) Bill
11:30 am
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold, Conservative)
I am grateful to the Minister for that explanation. I shall skate quickly over his words in relation to compulsory purchase of Crown land unless the acquiring authority gives permission, but we all know that many city centres contain large blocks of Crown land that are not being properly utilised. If the local planning authority wished to acquire such land compulsorily, but was blocked by, say, the Secretary of State for Health, who was sitting on a vital piece of land that was needed for affordable housing, it is possible that the Act could seek to remedy the situation. I am not sure that we are doing the right thing by allowing blanket Crown exemption from compulsory acquisition, and I would be grateful for the Minister's comments.