THE NEW TOWNS

27

There is a case, moreover, for special capital grants. Both the Corporations
 and the local authorities concerned have undertaken special expenditure,
 and this has been a net contribution to national resources by the
provision of new industrial areas as well as to a national problem of planning,
housing and education. To offset that special burden, which at present falls
on the rate and rent payers concerned, and to allow more rapid provision
of essential amenities, the Government should provide for a period of
five years a special transitional capital grant. This should be of the order
of £5 millions, divided pro rata among the Corporations and local
authorities involved.
2. Amenities. The 1946 Act should be amended or interpreted to
abolish the requirement that amenity buildings or similar projects should
be self-financing. The Corporation should be permitted to provide such
amenities as they see fit, and to finance them in any way consistent with the
general provisions of the Act. Special grants should be made for playing
fields. Until 1951, grants were made under the 1937 Physical Training and
Recreation Act. This Act should again be implemented and its scope
extended to permit Corporations to use it in the same way as local authorities.
The new Ministry Circular 283 releases local authorities from restriction in
* specially urgent’ cases, and permits grants for community centres up to
50 per cent. of a scheme built by voluntary labour, less if carried out by
the authority itself, and assumes’ the total cost will not exceed £10,000.
This will be quite inadequate to meet the needs in New Towns or large
housing estates.
3. Social Services. The provision of health service facilities should
be improved. An immediate start should be made with health centres
and new or additional hospital accommodation.
4. Education. As part of an enlarged school-building programme,
there should be a special review of New Town requirements. Comprehensive
schools are peculiarly suited to New Town needs, and local authorities should
be encouraged to provide them, as well as facilities for further and technical
education, which will be increasingly required. If mecessary, the Treasury
should give special assistance to local authorities undertaking these projects.
5. Housing. A lower rate of interest would not merely help ensure
lower rents. It would also permit an improvement in building standards.
Building and planning standards should be restored, at least to the 1950
level. Density should be reduced again from 17/18 houses per acre to
a maximum of 9/14. }
6. Industry. By use of planning powers, greater industrial diversity
should be secured in New Towns. Government and other official offices
should be established as a matter of policy.
. Corporations. The Labour Party should now ensure that its policy
for the hand-over should be worked out. It should reach some general conclusions
 about the financial aspects of transfer, and also about the type and
powers of local authority which could take over.
All this, of course, provides merely a framework within which the
Development Corporations will work. But these changes would eliminate
most of the difficulties thev still have to face. Their record so far offers