New Clause 27 - Qualified third party right of appeal
Planning and Compulsory Purchase (Re-committed) Bill
9:10 am
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold, Conservative)
I am sorry to interrupt proceedings so soon in our second week of proceedings, Mr. Hurst. I welcome you to the Chair, and I also welcome other members of the Committee and the House of Commons staff.
I wish to put on record my gratitude to the Government for their speed in responding to the Committee's deliberations on high hedges in new clause 1, tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner). They acted with admirable speed, and have taken a better route than would have been achieved through this planning Bill—through the Anti-social Behaviour Bill, with a conciliation and arbitration procedure. I know that all of the 10,000 people who have problems with high hedges will be absolutely delighted with the Government's announcement. I hope that the change is accepted in the other place and that we can consider it once that Bill returns to the House, and that it is put on the statute book as soon as possible.