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Planning White Paper slammed
21 May 2007
Today's Planning White Paper will fast-track massive and damaging new developments, increase UK carbon dioxide emissions, and reduce the right of local people to object to schemes that threaten their communities, Friends of the Earth warned today.
Friends of the Earth's Planning Coordinator, High Ellis said
"The Government wants to force controversial developments such as airport-expansions and road-widening schemes through the planning system by limiting local involvement in the decision-making. You won't be able to object to a new a nuclear power plant in your community, but you may be consulted on what colour gate it has.
"Government claims that today's White Paper will cut red tape and help them to tackle climate change are a misleading smokescreen. The UK has one of the most de-regulated planning systems in Western Europe. And expanding roads and airports will surely increase carbon dioxide emissions. Today's White Paper is bad for the environment, bad for local communities and bad for democracy."
The White Paper also seeks to remove the `need test' - which requires supermarkets to justify a new out-of-town store by demonstrating a requirement for additional retail floor space. Local planning officers recently surveyed by Friends of the Earth warned that this move would undermine attempts to promote town centres and make it harder to promote sustainable forms of development leading to increased reliance on car-based shopping
Planning White Paper press release
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2008
