NEW PLANNING BILL MUST NOT BULLDOZE VIEWS OF LOCAL PEOPLE - BURT

1.27.02pm GMT Wed 28th Nov 2007

Solihull's MP, Lorely Burt has condemned the Government's proposed Planning Reform Bill as a licence to "bulldoze through" major planning decisions against the wishes of local people.

The Bill will allow Government to short circuit the planning processes for major decisions, reducing the opportunity for local people to have their say on issues like motorway widening or airport expansion.

Lorely Burt MP said:

"We have already seen the benefit of a full, detailed public discussion on plans to expand Birmingham International Airport. If the new Bill were to become law in its current form, decisions about BIA could have been bulldozed through against the wishes of local people with disastrous consequences.

"We need to guard against a Planning Commission whose decisions would be less democratic, less transparent and less representative of local communities' views."