Friends of the Earth: Planning: What FOE is doing

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What Friends of the Earth is doing

We campaign to defend and extend the public's right to participate in the planning system at the national, regional and local level.

Friends of the Earth is currently working in an alliance of green and social NGOs to fight the dangerous proposals in the new Planning Bill. These proposals are bad for climate change and would strip you of your rights to participate positively in the planning system.

Find out more about the Planning Bill >

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To better understand Friends of the Earth's thinking on the planning system download "A Better Plan: an alternative view of the land use planning system"(PDF†).

To see our recommendations for the future of planning, in response to the proposals in the Planning Reform Bill, download our briefing "Planning for the Future"(PDF†).

These and other useful guides and briefings can be found on our Resource page.

Other work on planning and environmental rights

We work hard to improve planning law, policy and guidance at UK, national and regional levels.

UK wide

Friends of the Earth is campaigning to try and ensure that planning policy plays its part in tackling climate change. Friends of the Earth played a central role in delivering the 2007 draft Planning Policy Statement on climate change. We have also developed detailed guides for national, regional and local action.

England

At the regional level we are campaigning to get the principles of sustainable development and environmental justice incorporated into Regional Spatial Strategies. See our report on Regional Spatial Strategies: a policy brief (PDF)

The Government has introduced a new Performance Framework for local authorities that includes indicators on carbon emissions, and biodiversity. Ask your local authority how they are going to be improving their performance in this area.

Wales

Wales now has a new planning system in place. Friends of the Earth Cymru has a Community Rights Resource pack for Wales to help steer campaigners through this new system.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is undergoing a separate review of planning and consultation on the new planning legislation is imminent. The major issue is whether there will be a right to be heard in development plan public inquiries. The Modernising Planning Processes Implementation Plan for Northern Ireland can be found here (PDF†) .

Past work

Our many successes include:

statutory purpose for planning
draft Planning Policy Statement on climate change
the reinstatement of the public's right to be heard in local development plan-making in Northern Ireland
amendment to the Planning Act to close the mezzanine loophole in an attempt to control the expansion of big supermarkets
major modification to government policy in relation to public involvement which culminated in the publication in February 2004 of the paper Community Involvement in Planning: The Government's Objectives.

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