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New planning process for England | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
England needs a new national planning body to have the final say on major infrastructure projects such as power stations, a key report has said. | |
The Barker Report also calls on local authorities to allow more building in green belt boundaries in their areas. | |
The study also says that England's planning system must be made both quicker and more simple, and the appeals process needs speeding up. | |
Environment groups have already voiced their opposition to the report. | |
They fear it will lead to more construction on green belt land, and projects like airport extensions, motorways and new power stations being pushed through against local objections. | |
'Least impact' | |
Yet critics of the current planning system, especially companies, have long said the creation of a new national planning body is vital. | |
Planning bodies should review their green belt boundaries to ensure they remain relevant and appropriate Barker Report | |
They argue that, at present, some local councillors are ducking difficult planning decisions in the face of political pressures, such as strong local opposition to a new housing scheme. | |
The report's key author, economist Kate Barker, points out that contrary to public perception just under 13.5% of England is actually developed, while the green belt surrounding cities covers almost 13% of the country. | |
"The land that can be developed with the least likely environmental or wider social impact is low-value agricultural land with little landscape quality and limited public access," says the report. | |
"Regional and local planning bodies should review their green belt boundaries to ensure they remain relevant and appropriate." | |
Yet it adds that a windfall tax on profits from the development of greenfield sites should come into effect after 2008. | |
The Barker Report further calls for the planning system to resume presumption in favour, meaning that an application should be approved unless there is strong reasons against it. | |
Kate Barker is a member of the Bank of England's interest rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee. | |
The report was commissioned by the Treasury. |