2020 will be remembered for many things. The pandemic and the concerns of climate change. It will also be remembered as the year they took planning away from the people. With the Planning for the Future white paper consultation now due to close on the 31st October it will take democracy and localism out of planning.

The government complain the public do not understand the planning system. This is their excuse for proposing to restrict community involvement to the local planning stage. That is the stage at which England’s urban and rural areas will be allocated into one of three zones-Growth, Renewal, Protection. Under this scheme, building will be limited within Protected Areas such as AONBS and National Parks. But in Growth and Renewable Areas, councils will be expected to approve any development that ticks whatever boxes were agreed with the planning inspectorate at the local plan stage. In these areas, residents will have no role in individual decisions. Council planning committees will become an irrelevance.

Government Ministers want local plans to set inviolate rules instead of outlining planning policies- the rules that control how local plans are implemented-will be nationalized. One set of rules for all regardless of how well they fit local communities.

Local Plans will be pro-forma. At one extreme of the government’s options, there will be no right for communities or councils to be heard during the examination of the plans. I

Residents you have all been aware how important the countryside and local open space has been during the recent lockdown and how hard I have worked over the last thirty years to try and protect and enhance our local area but sadly this in the future could be destroyed by the stroke of a Government Ministers pen.

HCC & TVBC Cllr Alan Dowden

Baddesley Division & Valley Park