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Housing and Regeneration Bill

moved Amendment No. 75A: 75A: Clause 21, page 10, line 40, at end insert— ““( ) The powers in this section may only be used where the HCA carries out the development which includes the private street.”” The noble Lord said: Clause 21 allows the HCA to serve a connection notice on a local highways authority requiring it to connect a private street to the highway network. The private streets in question are new streets and roads being constructed. This is an amendment to probe the circumstances in which serving a notice might happen. First, why are connection notices required? Why cannot the normal procedures take place which happen when any sort of development is built? It is not unusual for streets to be connected to the highways network and there are well established procedures for this, involving the highways authorities and the planning system. Secondly, why does the HCA require these powers, when it is not a developer? Why cannot a developer who is building new roads that need connecting simply do what every other developer does everywhere else? It is not clear at all why this clause is required. I beg to move.