Written question asked by Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 19 July 1996. It was answered by Paul Beresford (Conservative) on Friday, 19 July 1996 on behalf of the Department of the Environment.

Dept of the Environment

Question: If he will take steps to ensure that outline planning permissions over 10 years old which have been commenced only technically shall be permitted to go ahead only, if (a) the local planning authority or (b) the Secretary of State confirm their validity.

Answer: Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that outline planning permissions over 10 years old which have been commenced only technically shall be permitted to go ahead only, if (a) the local planning authority or (b) the Secretary of State confirm their validity.[38563] Sir Paul Beresford: The Government do not consider it reasonable to impose a general time limit for completion as there could be many valid reasons why development could take longer than envisaged. However, section 94 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 empowers a local planning authority to serve a completion notice in an individual case. Such a notice, which requires the confirmation of the Secretary of State, terminates a planning permission at the end of a specified period if the development is not completed.

Secondary information