Commons Committee see eye-to-eye with Rugby Liberal Democrats on Pickles

This week the House of Commons Select Committee on Communities and Local Government published its report on the National Planning Policy Framework. They agreed that the way Eric Pickles has phrased the framework could have negative consequences and in particular "If councils have clearly identified substantial amounts of housing in their plans, it is unfair that their communities should be left exposed to speculative development just because these sites will take longer than five years to deliver".

Communities in and around Rugby are exposed to speculative housing development for several reasons including the way the responsible minister, Eric Pickles MP (Con, Brentwood and Ongar) has worded the National Planning Policy Framework.

With the radio masts site Rugby Borough Council has identified "substantial amounts of housing" and yet the wording Eric Pickles has used in the framework leaves it unclear as to whether or not this planning permission can be counted. We agree with the MPs on the committee - this is unfair.

Links

House of Commons committee report http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmcomloc/190/19007.htm#a19

For earlier comment on Eric Pickles failings see http://rugbylibdems.org.uk/en/article/2014/975534/eric-pickles-threat-to-rugby-s-green-fields

For other reasons why communities in and around Rugby are exposed to speculative housing development see http://rugbylibdems.org.uk/en/article/2014/975573/tory-delays-leave-the-door-open-to-property-speculators