13 June 2008
Government says no to climate change targets
Proposed planning changes will not include legally binding CO2 emission reductions despite a campaign by pressure groups.
Opponents of the Planning bill say it removes local accountability for developments like motorways and ports.
The bill will replace the current system of holding public enquiries each time a major infrastructure project, like a airport or a power station, is proposed.
This process has been criticised for being lengthy and expensive.
The new bill could make airport expansion easier
Bournemouth Councillor Elaine Cooper says: "This new quango contradicts Gordon Brown's pledge to give local people more power. It seems to me that we are given ‘lip service' more responsibility for our local communities but no resources to carry things out. Also when we report back to Government what the people say, the Government doesn't listen."
She added: “People have to start looking at the bigger picture. We’ve got to a stage where all the easy things have been done. We’ve got to change our lifestyles if were really going to make an impact on climate change and eroding peoples right to object to planning proposals is not the way to do this."
Bournemouth Councillor Elaine Cooper says: "The new quango contradicts Gordon Brown's pledge to give local people more power. It seems to me that we are given in 'lip service' more responsibility for our local communities but no resources to carry things out. Also when we report back to Government what the people say, the Government doesn't listen."
The new system would use an independent but unelected Planning Commission to decide whether proposed developments are built.
Links
For more on the link between transport and climate change in Bournemouth click here
For an outline of the Planning bill with a link to the full document click here
For details on current UK planning legislation click here