Member

On Amendment 234B, I agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey, on the importance of ACVs being properly maintained and not left to deteriorate by unscrupulous owners, thereby losing their value to the community—the noble Baroness, Lady Scott, mentioned this as well. However, requiring local authorities to inspect every asset of community value in their area every five years and make judgments on whether intervention is needed would place an unreasonable burden on them. It would also represent a significant interference with the property rights of asset owners, which may not be justifiable. We do not think it is right to place any restriction on how asset owners use their private property, as long as this use is in line with planning requirements. It is up to local authorities to decide when it is appropriate to use their powers, which they already have under Section 215, to require land or buildings to be cleaned up, taking local circumstances into account. This should include the condition of the site and the impact on the surrounding area. We are currently refreshing guidance to ensure that local authorities can make full use of these powers.