‘Radical’ change needed to proposed planning reforms

I welcome the Chichester Observer’s vigorous opposition to the Government’s ‘one size fits all’ white paper ‘Planning for the Future’ which proposes ever more deregulated, unsustainable, and undeliverable housing developments and roads diminishing what little remains of ‘our beautiful district’, writes reader Peter Lansley, of Cedar Drive, Chichester.

A housing development under construction

And I thank you for strongly supporting the chairman of Chichester Harbour Trust, John Nelson, in his vital campaign to protect our natural environment from ‘irreversible harm’.

There may be some light on the horizon. The Government is now set to revise its proposals for controversial planning reforms following new housing targets prompting a backlash among senior conservative MPs.

Ministers are proposing updating the formula where to build houses but with concern expressed that ‘mutant algorithms’ will fail to ‘level up’ the North and see ‘the South concreting over large parts of rural and suburban England with no democratic right of communities to appeal’.

Former Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said the change in approach from the Government was ‘encouraging’ but warns ‘a few tweaks are not enough. We need radical change to the proposal if we’re to ensure that this algorithm doesn’t lead to unacceptable over-development’.

Our local MP Gillian Keegan must remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding Chichester’s green iconic landscape from being overrun by housing estates and nightmarish bypasses.

But all the evidence is far from reassuring. Will she oppose a shockingly outrageous housing development to build 140 homes on Raughmere Meadows just off Lavant Road opposite the junction with Hunters Race south of Raughmere Drive closing ‘the strategic gap’ between Chichester and Lavant strongly opposed by residents?

The Prime Minister has now pledged a further £40million for green spaces to restore species and combat climate change while promising greater protection for England’s landscapes by creating and restoring important habitats, preventing and cleaning up pollution, creating woodland, and helping people connect with nature, which will create jobs such as ecologists, project managers, tree planters, and teams to carry out nature restoration, saying ‘that’s why, with the natural world under threat, it’s more important than ever that we act now to enhance our natural environment and protect our precious wildlife and biodiversity’.

County and district planning authorities, please take note!