Greens urge government u-turn over shocking planning proposals

14 September 2011

The Green Party said today that controversial proposals for reform of the planning system via the National Planning Policy Framework (1) are a threat to the countryside and should be dropped.

Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party and MP for Brighton Pavilion, who will respond to the Government consultation before the 17th October deadline to oppose the plans, said:

"The new planning proposals offered up in the draft National Planning Policy Framework expose this Government's shocking bias towards big business - and its determination tear up protection laws for our precious countryside.

"Ministers are intent on scrapping the policy of building on Brownfield sites before Greenfield sites and the duty to ensure that new developments minimise road traffic.

"The Greens recognise the urgent need to build more homes in order to address the housing crisis in this country, but the main obstacle isn't the planning system, it's the lack of money - thanks in no small part to the Government's decision to cut the affordable housing budget by 60%."

She concluded: "This new planning policy is likely to prove about as popular as the Government's ill-conceived plans to sell off the forests - and we need Cameron do a similar U-turn as fast as possible."

The Green Party's autumn conference in Sheffield this past weekend passed an emergency motion, condemning the state of planning in Britain today. Proposed by Andrew Cooper, Green Party councillor in Kirklees, it read:

"Conference condemns the Coaltion Government's proposed National Planning Policy Framework. The Green Party believes a function of the planning system is to protect people and the environment not to generate unsustainable economic growth. The abolition of targets for building on brownfield land, the lack of any understanding of sustainability coupled with a presumption in favour of development will make it a developers' charter.

"Conference calls on elected Greens at all levels of government to campaign vigorously against the NPPF and for the Green Party as a whole to campaign against these proposals to ensure we protect our communities, countryside and quality of life from unrestrained development."

Notes

1) You can read the draft National Planning Policy Framework here.

The draft National Planning Policy Framework has attracted widespread criticism from environmental campaigners and conservation groups, such as the National Trust and CPRE.

The Daily Telegraph's "Hands Off Our Land" campaign, calling for a rethink of the Coalition's plans, can be found here.

 

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