The Seven Towns
Another obstacle in the Planning Bill had to be surmounted on Saturday, when the question arose of providing for the housing of population outside the area of a planning authority—as in the case of Plymouth. Mr. Storey's amendment would have extended the area of the authority. Mr. W. S. Morrison pointed out the obvious difficulties of making piecemeal adjustments of the areas of certain towns at the expense of adjoining authorities. He made a promise which, if it is expeditiously carried out, and if he makes the neces- sary interim financial arrangements with the towns principally affected, should meet the case. He offered, in fact, to go at once into the whole question of local government reform in relation to the adjustment of status and boundaries, and to introduce legislation early next session. It is thus possible that out of evil good may come. A comprehensive measure of local government reform is needed to deal not only with this, but many other projected schemes of reconstruction, and if this, indeed, is what Mr. Morrison proposes to bring about next session, a great national advantage will have been wrested out of the problem of the seven towns.
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