Lembit Öpik (Shadow Minister (Housing), Department for Communities and Local Government; Montgomeryshire, Liberal Democrat)

I beg to move amendment No. 99, in clause 15, page 7, line 30, at end insert—

‘(8) any resident of a private street may submit a request to the HCA for the adoption of that street.’.

I have tabled the amendment with my hon. Friend the Member for St. Ives, who is on his way. He is also preparing for Government, as we speak. The clause is about the adoption of private streets. It is quite comprehensive in the outline of the requirements for the HCA in that regard, but one thing seems to be missing. There does not seem to be an explicit provision to enable any resident of a private street to submit a request to the HCA for the adoption of that street.

The amendment is born out of a recent experience I had in my own constituency, where the residents of a street in the town of Caersws were desperate for it to be adopted. There was a very strong case for it, but I do not need to go into the details. I had the greatest difficulty convincing the local authority that it was a good idea.

The clause, with the amendment, provides the opportunity of a formal avenue for residents to pursue in order to have their street adopted. Unfortunately for the people of Caersws, the legislation applies only to England, so it is an act of altruism on my part. Should the Minister accept the amendment, I shall seek to lobby the Welsh Assembly to introduce something similar. I hope that the Minister will give a considered response to the logic behind it.

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