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Press Release

First crucial step towards empowering communities

14 December 2010

Countryside campaigners, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), welcomed the First Reading of the Localism Bill yesterday evening. The Bill promises to be a significant step towards devolving power to local people through neighbourhood plans and stronger powers to tackle unauthorised advertising in the countryside.

Fiona Howie, Head of Planning at CPRE, commented: “Getting communities more involved in shaping the future of where they live and work is vital. Many rural communities have been doing some form of neighbourhood planning for many years. We are pleased that provisions in the Bill should mean that their efforts will be given more weight. It is encouraging too that the Bill contains stronger powers to tackle intrusive outdoor advertising. ”

“People care deeply about where they live and, in the past, many have questioned the practicality and desirability of very high levels of development being forced on them. Rather than branding them NIMBYs, local councils and developers should engage with these concerns. We hope the new system will ensure that we get better decisions about the quality of development and when and where it should take place.”

“If people are really to be fully empowered, however, the reform needs to introduce safeguards. CPRE believes the introduction of a limited ‘community right of appeal’ is crucial to ensure that development is in line with the vision set out by local people. If it is not, then many may consider neighbourhood plans not to be worth the effort. [1]”

Notes:

1. Further briefing on why CPRE believes a community right of appeal is necessary, and responses to some of the common concerns raised about the proposal, is available on request.

· CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk



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Campaign to Protect Rural England

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