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Environmental Protection UK Questions 'Right to Build' Proposals | 23 Jul 2010

Environmental Protection UK has questioned Government plans to give villages the power to build new homes without getting planning permission from their local authority.

Under the 'Community Right to Build' proposals, villages would be able to grant themselves planning permission for small developments of up to 20 houses if enough local people are in favour.

Decisions would be made by a special referendum, with an 80% majority needed to go ahead.

Housing minister Grant Shapps said that the plans, which are part of David Cameron's Big Society proposals, would increase the amount of 'affordable' homes in rural areas and give more power to local communities.

But Environmental Protection UK believes that the plans would undermine Greenbelt protection and insists that building developments should remain democratically accountable.

"Planning decisions are already made by bodies which are democratically accountable to local people, their local authority", said Philip Mulligan, Chief Executive of Environmental Protection UK,

"If the Government truly wants to give local people a greater say in planning decisions it should look to enhance the role of existing bodies, such as parish councils, in the planning system rather than create another layer of bureaucracy.

"The planning framework helps ensure that when developments are proposed, relevant factors such as infrastructure provision, environmental impacts and land quality are considered and reconciled.

"It is difficult to see how these factors could be considered by a community body without input from skilled and knowledgeable specialists at the local authority, which begs the question of why remove planning decisions from the democratically elected local authority at all?

"Environmental Protection UK welcomes immediate clarification from the Government as to how such matters will be dealt with under these new proposals."

The Right to Build proposals will be contained in a new Localism Bill which will be published later this year.

More:

Ed Dearnley, Policy Officer
Tel: 01273 878771/ 07872 376500
Email: ed.dearnley@environmental-protection.org.uk

Lisa Crews, Policy Officer
Tel: 01273 878782
Email: lisa.crews@environmental-protection.org.uk

Notes for Editors:

1. Environmental Protection UK is the environmental protection charity supported by pollution control professionals. We have been working for a cleaner, quieter, healthier world since 1898. See www.environmental-protection.org.uk