Interesting thoughts on Planning

This week's Spectator magazine carries an article by National Trust chairman Simon Jenkins which, as well as regretting the departure of nearby local MP Owen Paterson (Shropshire North) from his Rural Affairs post in the recent reshuffle, also includes some thoughts on the thorny subject of planning.

He says: "In 2011, the National Trust found itself ranged against the Coalition's draft planning policy, blatantly drafted by construction industry lobbyists.....

"Rural communities were ordered by Eric Pickles and his junior, Nick Boles, to accept 'volume housing estates' wherever profit beckoned, irrespective of local views, green belt or landscape guardianship. The weasel word 'sustainable' turned out to mean profitable.

"The Trust was inundated with pleas for help and succeeded in having the draft marginally diluted. We were pushing non-political to the limit, but the overwhelming reaction of our members was that we should have been even more outspoken, as on turbines."

"To drive with one's eyes open across England these days is to see how far those charged with defending its visual integrity have failed.

"Where once there was a clear divide of town from country, urban from rural, unique in most of Europe, there is now emerging an unplanned sprawl of ware-houses, toy-town estates, pylons, turbines and advertisements in fields. The visual character of the English countryside is starting to resemble Ireland, Spain or Portugal."

We don't know if such an eminent commentator as Simon Jenkins has solid proof that the current planning legislation was framed by the construction industry but those battling rural planning applications around the country will not be surprised by such a revelation.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.