The Live Wire



Press Release

CPRE response to planning minister Bob Neill

8 August 2011

Planning minister Bob Neill yesterday (Sunday 7/8) described opposition to the Government's proposed planning reforms by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and the National Trust as 'a carefully choreographed smear campaign by Left-wingers based within the national headquarters of pressure groups'.

CPRE believes the Minister is in denial about the scale and seriousness of opposition to the Government's proposed reforms. CPRE is politically impartial, existing solely to protect and improve the countryside. Its national position on the planning reform proposals has been shaped by its members and branches across the country – often seen as the epitomy of 'Middle England'.

Shaun Spiers, CPRE Chief Executive commented: 'I think Bob Neill must have been having a bad day. He'd do better to listen to CPRE's serious concerns about what the Government is proposing rather than indulging in bizarre 'reds under the bed' conspiracies.

'CPRE shares the Government's aspirations for a more localised and less complex planning system. But it has got its proposals badly wrong. They will not result in economic growth, just more countryside erosion and less say for local communities, in towns and cities as well as in the countryside. Ministers are making a bad mistake in putting economic interests before people or the environment.

'The Government should think again, particularly about its proposed presumption in favour of development and its proposal to repeal guidance on using brownfield land in preference to developing in open countryside. CPRE is not smearing the Government and I hope that the Government will stop smearing us.'

Article Comments

Frightening thought that this is the sort of guy running the country and that he's involved in the destruction of the countryside.

Not much hope for us.

If he's representative of the Tory Party now I quite fancy being a left - winger.

Nick Walker
22nd Aug 2011 at 1:23 pm



Press releases, papers and documents published on this page are the intellectual property of an organisation unrelated to Central Lobby. We promote their parliamentary and political campaigning activities as they are subscribers to the Central Lobby service.

As such, Central Lobby does not edit, endorse, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases and other such types of content are the responsibility of the originating organisation.

Campaign to Protect Rural England

More from Dods

© Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd