Subscribe to this blog's feedUtilities hoping against hope that the government’s proposals to shake-up the planning regime will bear fruit might be forced to chuckle at the following. On the day the government published its Planning Reform Bill (27 November), Friends of the Earth issued a press release.
It quoted FoE planning adviser Naomi Luhde-Thompson as saying: “The Planning Bill will not tackle climate change as Hazel Blears would have us believe. It will fast track roads, airports and incinerators – substantially adding to the UK’s carbon footprint.
“While we welcome moves to simplify the planning system for major infrastructure projects, the government must ensure that these projects reduce, not add to, carbon emissions. Planning commissioners, who will make decisions on major projects, must be accountable to government and public inquiries must give people a real opportunity to have their views heard.”
A bit later the same day the FoE issued a second press release. This time Luhde-Thompson opined: “The government has shown complete contempt for the British people today. The official statement from government states that the public’s right to be heard at public inquiries is protected – this is utter nonsense. The bill categorically states that the public will only have this right in exceptional circumstances, and even then, as long as you don’t mention crucial issues such as safety and need.”
Why the change of tone? Could it be that FoE put the first missive out before it had actually read the bill it was supposed to be commenting on?
Perish the thought.
