Press release

Minister saves the planning system

6 September 2011

Friends of the Earth has today welcomed the decision by Environment Minister Alex Attwood to reject draft Planning Policy Statement 24, which would have given excessive weight to economic considerations on all major planning applications.

Draft Planning Policy Statement 24, circulated for consultation by former Environment Minister Edwin Poots [1], ran to two paragraphs and stated that full account would be taken of the economic implications of a planning proposal, including the wider implications to the regional and local economy.

Friends of the Earth Director, James Orr said:

"Draft PPS24 was viewed by Friends of the Earth as a developers' charter as it gave supremacy to economic considerations over social and environmental factors. It would have set back progress in planning reform by 50 years and been the single biggest blow to the environment we have ever seen implemented by the devolved Assembly."

"The Minister, in rejecting this unworkable policy, has saved the planning system from imploding. If adopted this policy would have bogged down many major applications in the courts and ruined any prospect of a move towards sustainable development. Planning exists to balance social, environmental and economic considerations not to serve the interests of big developers."

"Just last week we warned the Minister that this policy was also potentially unlawful [2]. We are glad he is a minister who works within the rule of law and who responds to the wishes of the community who overwhelmingly rejected this nonsensical policy [3]."

Notes

[1].Draft PPS 24 titled 'Economic Considerations' was issued for consultation on 17 January 2011 by the then Environment Minister, Edwin Poots MLA. Consultation ran from 17 January 2011 to 6 May 2011.

[2] Friends of the Earth wrote to the Minster last week threatening legal action if the policy was adopted: "we have been advised that we can advance a strong case to the effect that dPPS24, if implemented, would be ultra vires the powers of the Department. A judicial challenge to the lawfulness of implementing and applying this policy will therefore be pursued by Friends of the Earth and other organisations should the draft policy be adopted"

[3] Of 133 consultation respondents, 103 (three-quarters) opposed draft PPS24.

Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland
7 Donegall Street Place
BELFAST
BT1 2FN
Tel: 028 9023 3488
Fax: 028 9024 7556
Email: foe-ni@foe.co.uk.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust