Archived press release

Friends of the Earth: Press Release:

7 July 1998

Derek Draper of GPC Market Access claims to have organised private meetings between the House Builders Federation and Geoffrey Norris of the No10 Policy Unit, to discuss which greenfield sites might be suitable for housing development. Mr Norris has previously intervened in an attempt to water down John Prescott's planned Transport White Paper.His description of the White Paper as “anti-car” led the Deputy Prime Minister to attack him as a “teenybopper”.

Greenfield housing developments are a key political issue for New Labour. Housing projections for the Department of Environment published by the last Government in 1995 suggested a need for 4.4 million new homes by the year 2016. Following public protests John Prescott announced that 60% of these homes should be built on brownfield sites in existing towns and cities, but he has allowed greenfield developments in Stevenage and elsewhere to proceed. Friends of the Earth supports the conclusions of the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Development, that at least 75% of the new homes should be on brownfield sites. Marginal Labour seats threatened by major greenfield developments include Wellingborough, Northampton South, Lancaster and Wyre, Stroud, Forest of Dean and Keighley.

FOE has attacked reports of the private meetings as undermining the claim that New Labour would “put the environment at the heart of Government”. Commenting on the secret discussions of future greenfield developments, FOE Campaigns Director Tony Juniper states that “in the new era of 'non-ideologically-poisoned decision-making' it seems as if developers can buy a heart by-pass.”

Mr Juniper's letter asks:

* what meetings have taken place between No10 officials and the House Builders Federation, and when

* whether the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions were represented at the meetings, or were informed of them before they took place

* which potential greenfield developments were discussed, and whether and how the results of those discussions were transmitted to the DETR and local planning officials

* whether lobbyists can arrange access to Mr Blair's environment adviser Liz Lloyd

* whether Mr Draper's reported view that No10 regards Environment Minister Michael Meacher as “weak”, “irrelevant” and “a nobody” is accurate, and reflects the importance Mr Blair attached to advice from his green minister.

“The Observer” also reported this Sunday that Mr Draper was able to offer privileged access to No Policy Adviser Roger Liddle. “The Observer” journalist had presented himself to GPC Market Access as a representative of a major US oil company seeking to evade pollution restrictions in the UK. Another lobbying firm prominent in the “Observer” piece,Lawson Lucas Mendelsohn, represents major UK supermarkets anxious to relax Labour policy on out-of-town retail developments, and has also acted for Rupert Murdoch's News International over FOE's proposed Newsprint (Recycling) Bill.

Mr Juniper's letter to Mr Blair concludes:

“Promising to 'put the environment at the heart of Government' is not compatible with allowing the sleazy demi-monde of corporate lobbyists secret access to No10 and to your closest advisers. Eco stitch-ups would be disastrous to this Government's reputation. I hope we can have your categorical assurance that the House Builders Federation has not been able to buy such access through GPC Market Access. I hope we can have your further assurance that environment policy will be made on the basis of evidence and argument and not on the time-honoured principle that money talks.”

Commenting, Mr Juniper added:

“Corporate lobbyists have a profound influence on almost all areas of governmental decision making, from global warming to genetic engineering. The Government and other official bodies should spend less time with industry fat cats, and more time on protecting the public interest through tougher measures to protect the environment.”

ENDS

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust