Conservationists are urging ministers to grasp the opportunity tomorrow (October 12) to clear up one of the most controversial aspects of the planning reform debate.
The Government has faced a public backlash against its proposed reforms of the planning system. Although they claim the changes will maintain sustainable development as the purpose of the planning system, the way this is defined is inadequate.
An amendment tabled by Liberal Democrat and Labour peers calls for a clear definition of sustainable development to be enshrined in law. This will be debated in the House of Lords tomorrow (Wednesday) and, if accepted, would result in an addition to the Localism Bill.
Martin Harper, RSPB Conservation Director, said: “The Government talks about sustainable development – but do they really know what it is?
“In a recent interview David Cameron struggled with the question, and the version included in the proposed planning reforms differs from what many consider to be the essence of sustainable development.
“This may seem like semantics but in fact it is a vital guiding principle governing how we treat our natural environment. This amendment is an opportunity for the Government to show that it has listened to the public, and that it understands how important it is to protect our wildlife from damaging development.
“Sustainable development means growth within environmental limits. It is not a brake on economic recovery, it is a guiding light to a prosperous future. And unless it is laid out in law in black and white then our countryside’s defence against planning blight will be weakened and we, alongside many others, will continue to oppose the upcoming reforms.”
Monday is the deadline for responses to the public consultation on the NPPF and concerned members of the public are being urged to make their voices heard on the issue.
Mr Harper added: “The Government clearly did not expect the level of public concern that has been displayed in recent weeks over their proposed planning reforms.
“Anyone who hasn’t expressed their views on this issue has less than a week to do so. Thousands of RSPB supporters have already responded to the official consultation via our website and the more people who make their views known, the more pressure we can put on the Government to rethink their plans.”
Anyone wanting to add their name to the campaign can do so at www.rspb.org.uk/saveyourlandscapes
