Ministers drop plan for councillor determination of some appeals

Parliament has been told that the Government has decided to drop its proposals for Local Member Review Bodies which would have determined certain planning appeals, a move which would have removed the existing right to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State.

Planning minister baroness Andrews confirmed the dropping of the plan for LMRBs during the second reading of the Planning Bill in the Lords.

She told the Upper Chamber: "We have listened carefully to stakeholder views on this provision and concluded that, while it may bring some benefit, it risks distracting local authorities, particularly at a time when there is an urgent need for them to focus on strategic plans and issues."

The minister said the Bill would be amended when it reaches its committee stage in the Lords. This will be in October during the spill-over period between the end of the summer recess and the beginning of the new Parliamentary session in November.

During the two-and-a-half hour long second reading debate in the Upper Chamber the Government’s proposals for a new regime for major infrastructure projects received a mixed reception.
 
Although there was general support for the proposed new system of National Policy Statements (NPSs) both the Conservative and Liberal Democratic shadow ministers voiced  serious reservations about the proposals for the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC).

However, Lord Dixon-Smith, the shadow communities secretary, did not repeat the pledge of his Commons counterpart to kill the legislation if the Conservatives win the next election.

Baroness Andrews insisted that the proposed IPC would be "objective and expert. It will make its own judgments".

She added: "This body can say no. It is independent. Yes, it will be bound for the first time by national policy statements, which the Minister will be accountable for, but this is an independent commission that will make judgments bearing in mind local impacts as well as the overarching policy."

The minister insisted: "This is new territory, and it will not be to the comfort of Ministers. For the first time, they will be making difficult decisions explicit, not behind doors in Whitehall. Parliament will, for the first time, see the full and complex picture of ministerial policy in planning matters. Individuals and local authorities will be able to have their say on how the assumptions and difficult choices made at national level could have implications in their local areas."

Read the full debate in Lords Hansard (15 July, column 1159).

Roger Milne

17 July 2008