Clause 73 - Compulsory acquisition of land for development etc
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill
9:45 am
Mr Matthew Green (Ludlow, Liberal Democrat)
If the hon. Gentleman bears with me, he will realise that I am coming to that point. A lot of the land around Bridgnorth most suitable for business development is owned by a couple of landowners, at least one of whom is philosophically opposed to the public sector being involved in industrial sites, which he believes should be entirely private-sector driven. I know that because I had a private conversation with him. He is unlikely to agree to the sale of some the business land to the local
council so that it can gear in up to a couple of million pounds of European money, in some cases. I know that that can work because South Shropshire district country, which is on the other side of my constituency, has been very successful at bringing in European money from objective 2 and, before that, from objective 5b status because it had land in public ownership.