Archived press release

Planning changes bad for the environment

19 June 2001

Government plans to speed up the planning process for large infrastructure projects are“bad for democracy and bad for the environment” says Friends of the Earth[1].

Under the new proposals, public inquiries would no longer be held into whether controversial projects such as nuclear power stations and airports should proceed. Instead ministers would give initial approval for a project, with Parliament making the final decision.Public inquiries would only deal with local details, and not discuss the merits of the scheme.

Dr Hugh Ellis, Friends of the Earth's Planning Adviser said [2]:

“Any reduction in the rights of local people to raise objections to large developments will further undermine public confidence in the planning process. The Government should address the inadequacies and inherent bias of the current planning system.Making it less democratic and accountable will only increase people's frustrations and lead to bigger protests against large developments.”

While FOE would welcome clear national policy frameworks for issues such as aviation,individual developments are best determined on a case-by-case basis and after detailed consideration of the social and environmental impacts. FOE is calling for a reform of Parliament if it is to adequately scrutinise planning issues:

• Citizens will need clear evidence that matters are not being voted through 'on the nod' or as a result of intense lobbying by vested interests and their backers;
• Parliament will need to be able to thoroughly assess the 'need for' a scheme based on independent evidence and not merely a developer's submission (which can be highly selective and is, by definition, partial);
• Any proposed new system must address the issues of third party rights.

Dr Ellis continued:

“The Treasury and the DTI's view of planning as outdated and damaging to business has prevailed. The policy on public inquiries is likely to mark the beginning of the dismantling of the planning system on an unprecedented scale. Often in cases such as the inquiry into Terminal 5 at Heathrow it is the private sector which is responsible for delays. Efficiency and speed must be properly balanced by transparency and accountability if the public are not to lose even more faith in the system.”

Notes to Editors

[1] The Government's proposals on public inquiries are still vaguely drawn. They were first announced in the Labour business manifesto and appear to be the result of a campaign by the CBI. The reorganisation of the DETR has led to Lord Falconer taking over responsibility for the planning process. Planning now no longer has a dedicated minister in the House of Commons.

[2] Dr Hugh Ellis has recently been appointed as FOE's first in house planning advisor. Ellis, who previously held the post at the University of Sheffield, has been charged with providing support for Friends of the Earth's network of local groups and with providing a radical agenda for the reform of the land use planning system.The appointment reflects Friends of the Earth's increasing involvement with land-use planning at national,regional and local levels.

[3] Ministers' constant references to the Heathrow Terminal 5 public inquiry are misleading. The time taken for the Heathrow Terminal 5 public inquiry was the time needed to examine the issues in detail. There are clear reasons for the duration of the inquiry and they do not all add up to 'delays' (which were rare but where they happened could be placed firmly at the door of BAA). Key reasons include a lack of national policy (so all issues were discussed in a policy vacuum) and failure by Government (DETR as was) to present its own evidence on crucial areas such as surface (road, rail etc) access.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust