Your voice, your plan?

11 April 2011

Right to be heard

Friends of the Earth is calling for changes to the Localism Bill to make sure people have the right to be heard.

The current proposal only allows for an independent examiner to decide if the public can have a say in person during the examination process.

There's no clear process in the Bill about how people will be involved.

And now businesses will be able to write their own plans - making it even more important that people have a right to be heard.

Costly process

New Neighbourhood Plans and development orders are expensive to prepare, and there are no guidelines as to how these plans will be put together

This will create a process exclusive only to communities that can afford it.

Far from fair

Neighbourhood Plans won't have to consider what impact they're having on different parts of the community.

This disjointed approach could mean that businesses end up taking a strong role in plans.

These plans and developments could be forced onto your community unfairly without bearing in mind the needs and concerns of others.

Act now

We're recommending a change to the Bill to make sure local people have a right to be heard in the examination of Neighbourhood Plans and development orders.

We also recommend an equalities impact assessment to ensure that the needs of everyone in your community are considered.

Email your MP to ask them to support a right to be heard in Neighbourhood planning.

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