TORY MINISTER REJECTS LABOUR PLEA TO BLOCK GREENFIELD HOUSING

TORY MINISTER REJECTS LABOUR PLEA TO BLOCK GREENFIELD HOUSING Tory planning minister Nick Boles has rejected a plea from Salford City Council to block developers’ plans to build on greenfield sites in Worsley. Labour assistant mayor for planning Cllr Derek Antrobus wrote to the minister in March asking him to close a loophole in planning laws. Labour argues that how land is used in future should be decided democratically through a local plan which involves local communities in making decision about where housing should go and what greenery should be kept. But, when a plan is still being prepared, the Tories’ National Planning Policy Framework allows developers to cherry pick any site and instructs local planners to support such applications. Cllr Antrobus said: “I wrote to Nick Boles pointing out that we were following the localist agenda by involving local people in making a local plan. “I pointed out that people’s involvement would count for nothing if developers could make opportunistic planning applications which would effectively allocate land before the public had the chance to.” His letter urged the minister to bring in new rules which would prevent developers going for new sites while local people were still debating a local plan. His plea was backed by groups like the National Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England. But he has now received a reply – after a two-month wait – which rules out any change. Cllr Antrobus: “I am disappointed. It shows that ‘localism’ is just a charade – Tory planning policy is about putting power in to the hands of developers. It’s hardly surprising. They have always been on the side of big business.”