County councillor Colin Davie has reacted to the government’s new Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
The Bill includes an overhaul of how government decisions on nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) can be challenged, and calls for the planning system to be simplified so more houses can be built more quickly.
Cllr Davie is the executive member for economy, environment and planning at the council. He said: “Once again we are seeing how the government is pushing ahead with industrial-scale developments in the countryside and are now reducing the ability of local authorities to challenge decisions and represent the views of local people.
“Fast tracking decisions on major infrastructure projects further reduces engagement with local communities and councils and our ability to challenge these proposals.
“I can only conclude that the examination and decision making on these projects is largely a rubber stamping process- removing the ability for residents to have a meaningful input on developments in their local areas.
“What they are billing as ‘reducing red tape’ is in fact riding rough shod over our green and pleasant land – both for NSIPs and now for housing developments too.
“This planning bill tries to bypass local planning committees and the important role of local councillors in determining planning developments – particularly in rural areas like ours. It also could allow developers to destroy wildlife habitats in the pursuit of housing at any cost.
“In Lincolnshire we have many areas where permission has been granted but delivery of this housing by developers have not been forthcoming. In fact, we are not meeting our current local plan requirements, let alone new targets.
“The barriers are clearly not within the local planning system.”
Picture shows Cllr Colin Davie. Image credit: Lincolnshire County Council
