LIB DEMS SCORE LOCAL PLANNING SUCCESSES

Serena Tierney, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for Mid Sussex, today welcomed the news that Liberal Democrats in Parliament have defeated government proposals to give unelected bodies the power to make strategic planning decisions:

"This is a real victory for local democracy. Without our amendment, the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill would have removed a whole layer of elected people from the planning process. The Government says it is committed to devolution, but this Bill tried to put convenience before democracy. This defeat sends a powerful message. Major decisions on housing numbers and transport infrastructure must be taken by elected bodies that have the interests of the whole community at heart."

"This victory for Liberal Democrats in Parliament comes at a time when our local Tory district council was also trying to remove the say of local people in planning matters. First, they tried to abolish the local planning committees that sit in each town in the district and replace them with a central committee. Then they reduced the time available for members of the public to speak at the meetings. Finally they tried to get decisions made on all but the smallest schemes by one small central committee.

"Liberal Democrat councillors have opposed this and won significant concessions to help keep democracy in our local planning process in Mid Sussex. That campaign is part of a co-ordinated policy to protect democracy at all levels of the political process. The parliamentary victory is another example of Liberal Democrat policy in action."

MSDC UPDATE Cllr Steve Barnett confirms that the latest proposal from Mid Sussex DC has been scrapped after the proposals were watered down so much by our intervention that it was pointless to continue. Full marks to the small number of ruling group councillors who refused to be browbeaten by their leaders.