The Government is facing renewed opposition to its proposal to make Parliament the final planning arbiter on major infrastructure projects.
Yesterday, DTLR Secretary Stephen Byers told the Commons of his plan for Parliament, and not public inquiries, to decide what need there is for each major infrastructure project.
Friends of the Earth said that the Government had “caved into industry”, while Shadow DTLR Secretary Theresa May said that the proposals would hand too much power to the Secretary of State.
May fears that a Government could push important, controversial schemes through the House of Commons on a whipped vote.
Gideon Amos, director of the Town & Country Planning Association (TCPA), said: “Once decisions are referred to Parliament it will be almost impossible for local communities to have their say.
“Parliamentary systems are notoriously complex and members of the public would need enormous levels of support to enable the key parties for and against to be heard properly.
“The opportunity for cross examination could also be lost.”
Amos added that current Parliamentary decisions on projects were “notoriously slow”. The TCPA has recommended re-establishing local public inquiries to take the final decision.
Rory Joyce of Drivers Jonas disagrees: “It’s only right that the national need for a project is debated by the people we elect to do just that.
“It’s incomprehensible to say that it is undemocratic to have Parliament debating national policy.”
Joyce added that the Government’s proposed procedures would actually make the process more democratic.
“Its just untrue that this is undemocratic – in fact it’s the opposite.
“The Government will have to consult on the need for infrastructure projects, they will have to debate it in Parliament and they will still have a public inquiry for the detail of the scheme.
“In effect, the public is getting two bites of the cherry.”
The new Parliamentary procedures will need to be introduced via primary legislation, which planning minister Lord Falconer hopes to introduce in the 2002/2003 session.”
EGi News 18/12/01
