House of Commons
Debates
15 July 2010
Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry) (Con): If he
will bring forward proposals to ensure that people are able to prevent major planning
proposals proceeding in their areas. [8507]
The Minister of State, Department for Communities and
Local Government (Greg Clark): All planning decisions should be
democratically legitimate. Following the revocation of the regional spatial
strategies, local communities will determine most planning applications. For
major infrastructure projects, decisions will be taken on the basis of national
planning statements, ratified by this House, by Ministers accountable to this
House.
Chris Heaton-Harris: One of
the things that have brought together communities in Daventry is their
campaigns against wind farm developments. Does the Minister accept that
disempowering local communities is profoundly counter-productive and actually
deepens planning disputes, rather than helps to resolve them?
Greg Clark: My hon. Friend is exactly right.
If we want to increase the contribution from renewable energy in this
country-as we do-we should look at what happens on the continent, where they do
not have the poison in the planning system I mentioned. Those countries have
community-owned renewable energy developments and they allow people to share in
the proceeds. That is exactly what we will do.
Heidi Alexander (Lewisham East) (Lab): Anyone reading Question 8 on the
Order Paper could be forgiven for thinking that what many Tories and Liberal
Democrats would like is a never-build-anything-anywhere policy. What assurance
can the Minister give me that the natural nimby inclinations of so many on his
Benches will not result in fewer affordable homes and fewer jobs being provided
in Lewisham East, where they are so desperately needed by my constituents?
Greg Clark: The hon. Lady may not have
noticed, but the effect of the previous Government's policy was to reduce
housing development, so that virtually none happened. The strategies that we
have talked about-the targets imposed-have deluded her into thinking that
targets are the same thing as building. However, things have not happened that
way and she should wake up to that.