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Local Councils (Planning Powers)

Volume 177: debated on Monday 23 July 1990

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To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to seek to upgrade the responsibilities and duties of town and parish councils in respect of planning issues.

Statutory consultation procedures already provide an opportunity for town and parish councils to contribute to the preparation of development plans. Those councils also have a statutory power (paragraph 20 of schedule 16 to the Local Government Act 1972) to require the district council for their area to keep them informed about planning applications it receives. Where such a requirement is made, and the councils make representations about an application, they have the right to appear at any public inquiry held to consider that application or a related appeal. There are no proposals at present to extend these arrangements.