23/12/11….Planning law changes: small towns charity reacts to new Government report

ACTION for Market Towns (AMT), the national charity representing market and small towns across the UK, has welcomed a new report from the select committee of MPs which is examining the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Alison Eardley, Policy Manager for Action for Market Towns, said: “A lack of clear definition within the NPPF has been at the centre of debate for some months, and was raised in AMT’s response to the draft NPPF back in the Autumn. AMT welcomes Greg Clark’s indication that he will ‘carefully consider’ a new definition of sustainable development produced by the committee. We would urge the government to define sustainable development in terms of assessing proposed developments by weighing up their impacts on environment, population and economy equally in order to come to an informed and balanced decision.

“We need to ensure that unscrupulous developers cannot use presumption to avoid presenting plans that are well-constructed and abide by appropriate standards. We also must ensure that developers cannot just bamboozle a community into approving a plan that is against the community’s interests. The planning process should become more, and not less, democratic.

“We also welcome the reinstatement of a reference to the effect that any new development should be guided by the principles of ‘brownfield first’ and ‘town centre first’ and that new provisions for communities to secure ‘absolute protection’ of town centres from out-of-town development be added.”

PHOTO: Courtesy of Miller Research: Thame Food festival stalls