What cost the countryside?

The aim of the Localism Bill is to give people greater participation in matters that affect them, particularly planning, and allow more decisions to be made at local level, reflecting local circumstances, but, whoever is making those planning decisions, should still be seen to be acting in the public interest, taking account of long term land use consequences.

The Government has now amended the Localism Bill to include a new clause that ensures “local finance considerations” become a material consideration in planning decisions.

Karine Swanson, head of planning at Balfours, says: “I am appalled at this last minute change to the bill which has been undertaken without any real consultation. Never before has “the amount of cash on the table” from a developer been a matter that planners had to evaluate as part of granting a permission. In these times of funding cuts, cost savings and redundancies we must be vigilant that our countryside and heritage assets are valued highly enough and not sold off to swell Council coffers!”