Clause 39 - Local development orders
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill
3:15 pm
Mr Matthew Green (Ludlow, Liberal Democrat)
The Conservatives have a point, but the one-year period may be over the top. If someone were half way through building an extension under permitted developments and the local authority were subsequently to remove the right to permissive development orders, what would be the legal liabilities in each direction? The Bill does not address that problem. As I said, a year is probably too long, but some notice should be given and we need clarification of the position where work has already been started and the Secretary of State changes an order. People could find that their project, begun legally, had been deprived of legality. The hon. Members for Cotswold and for Spelthorne have acknowledged that they are not wedded to the one-year period, but the problem remains of what will happen if an order is withdrawn.