VOTE LABOUR - FOR ROADS,AIRPORTS AND NUKES

19-05-2007

Friends of the Earth are warning that runway expansion at Birmingham Airport and widening the M6 from Cannock to Manchester could be forced through regardless of local opposition under new government proposals to streamline the planning process.

There have been smoke signals coming from Whitehall for years about reducing the time taken to deal with major schemes, but a white paper due out next week will the first step towards making it a reality.

Under the new system the government will issue national statements of policy, which will effectively give the green light to projects deemed to be national importance.

The rights of affected communities to delay the process while their objections are fully considered will be reduced.

As well as the widening of the M6 and the Birmingham Airport runway schemes, its thought the new legislation could help ease through the building of up to ten new nuclear power stations.

Ironically many of the government’s projects (which include the expansion of various airports) as likely to lead to greater carbon emissions - running counter to the government’s declared aim of reducing Co2.

Chris Crean from West Midlands Friends of the Earth commented: "The Planning White Paper will give the green light to massive new developments while stripping away opportunities for affected communities or the wider public to input on the decisions.

“This is policy making at its worse - it will destroy local communities and exacerbate climate change. The Government must rethink its proposals and introduce a planning system that allows people a say on decisions that affect them."