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Press Release

Is The New Planning Quango Chief Taking On An Impossible Task?

11 March 2009

'Sir Michael Pitt will need the wisdom of Solomon to decide some of the most contentious planning applications ever, from a third runway at Heathrow to a new generation of nuclear power stations.'

This is the reaction of Paul Miner, senior planner at countryside campaigners CPRE to the news that Sir Michael Pitt has been appointed Chair of the new Infrastructure Planning Commission.

MPs will scrutinise Sir Michael's appointment next week. CPRE will be calling on the MPs to question Sir Michael on how he will ensure fair and open public involvement in major infrastructure cases, and on the scope he will have to throw out or reject ill-thought through or damaging project proposals.

Paul Miner concluded:

'While we wish Sir Michael good luck we remain doubtful that the Infrastructure Planning Commission model is workable. We do not share Ministers' belief that it will, or should, take the politics out of decisions on controversial infrastructure projects. We remember that only eight years ago, the late Lord Nolan said that attempting to do so would be a recipe for chaos.'



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