CPRE warns of Localism Bill ‘holes’

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) warned that powerful supermarkets and other developers would be able to continue to “bully and bludgeon” local communities until they got the planning permission they wanted because of failures in the Localism Bill. The Bill, which underwent its first debate in Parliament on January 17, is the focus of the government’s decentralising agenda.

The CPRE believes it leaves too much power in the hands of developers, making neighbourhoods vulnerable to unwanted and damaging projects being forced upon them with no mechanism available to appeal.

Neil Sinden, director of policy and campaigns, said: “The CPRE wanted local communities to have real influence over what happened in their neighbourhoods.” He acknowledged “some welcome proposals” in the Bill on neighbourhood plans, but overall it fell short of fulfilling “ambitious and exciting pre-election commitments” by both coalition partners to introduce a community right of appeal.

“This omission means that powerful supermarkets and other developers will be able to continue to bully and bludgeon local communities until they get the planning permissions they want,” Sinden said.