our campaigns
Real rights in planning
Two stories about the proposed changes to the planning system. Act now to ensure a happy ending!
Story One: Demands for fairness and accountability in the planning system are ignored
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| 1. National Planning Framework is published, covering transport, energy and waste. Its main aim is to increase economic growth. It includes plans for more waste incinerators in Scotland. You have no right to challenge decisions made in it. |  |
| 2. Your local council drafts in its local plan,
based on the National Planning Framework. It
includes an incinerator for your town. You are
consulted on where it should go. You and your community group object. A public inquiry is held, you present evidence but are advised that the proposal will not be changed because it was agreed in the National Planning Framework. |
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| 3. The local plan is published, including the proposal for the incinerator and showing that your comments and those of the local group have been ignored. |  |
| 4. A notice goes up in a field on the edge of town indicating that an application has been received for an incinerator. You object. A public hearing is held at which you are consulted. You are thanked sincerely for your comments but told that because it was in the local plan your objec tion has been overruled. However, you can comment on the colour of the fence. |  |
| 5. The incinerator is given planning consent. You have no legal right to appeal the decision. The incinerator is built. |
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| Illustrations copyright Dave Sutton 2005 d.sutton@virgin.net |
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Story Two: Public demands for fairness
and accountability in the planning system
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| 1. The National Planning Framework is drafted by Ministers and is then subject to an independent inquiry which looks at the plan’s impact on the economy, environment and communities. You lodge an objection which is considered by the inquiry. |  |
| 2. Informed by local community interest, and thepurpose of the planning system to ensure sustainable development, mass burn incineration is rejected as unsuitable and is instead replaced by eco-business parks. These include companies specialising in waste reduction, re-use and recycling. |  |
| 3. Your local council drafts its local plan, based on the National Planning Framework and includes an eco-business park, meaning more local job opportunities and better infrastructure for existing industries in the area. You are consulted and agree that it is a good thing and should be built on a brownfield site. You are thanked sincerely for your views , which are taken into account. |  |
| 4. A planning application notice goes up for the eco-business park, but on a field containing protected species. You, and many others in the area, object to the application, suggesting a location near the existing industrial area, as proposed in the development plan. Knowing that you can appeal if it approves this proposal, the council considers your objection carefully. It rejects the application and advises the developer to come forward with a new proposal on a more appropriate site. |  |
| 5. Following the new application the eco-business park gets built on the site of an old oil refinery, with the full support of the local community who promote the opportunities for recycling and fully support the industry making it thrive in the local area. |
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| Illustrations copyright Dave Sutton 2005 d.sutton@virgin.net |
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