Town and Country Planning
In the speech made by Mr. W. S. Morrison, Minister of Town and Country Planning, at a town-planning conference last week, a good deal of his time was devoted to showing why the Government has taken as long as it has done to reach decisions. How- ever, we now have his assurance that the Government's &liberate findings are nearly ready for presentation. He reaffirmed acceptance of the important principle of the power of public acquisition of all land in reconstruction areas, compensation being payable on the basis of the standard of values at March 31st,- x939. That is an essential point of departure from which local authorities should proceed, and it will be well to have the principle quickly asserted in legislation. It does meet one of the requirements without which progress could not be made with local planning. Another very important question is what financial help will the Government give for reconstruction work in blitzed areas. Mr. Morrison said that authorities should proceed on the assumption that there would be a " fair deal " as between local and central finance, but did not say what constituted a •fair deal. It may be concluded from his silence that no decision has been taken on the recommendation for the State acquisition of development rights in land. He urged that local authorities should not be deterred from pressing on with their plans through doubts about their future boundaries and powers, and clearly they have no alternative but to follow this advice if any- thing at all is to be done ; and yet it is a fact, though outside Mr.
Morrison's domain, that the whole problem of the future constitu- tion of local authorities has to be faced, and that upon its solution depend a host of practical measures—in planning, housing, health and education.
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