Green councillors across England and Wales are urging their councils to reject ‘Investment Zones’, which are a core element in the Conservatives’ ‘Growth Plan’ (1). Greens say the plans, which aim to accelerate housing and infrastructure through a new streamlined planning system, threaten both local democracy and the environment (2).
York Green Party agrees.
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:
“Investment zones, as set out by the government, threaten to ride rough-shod over agreed local priorities, further damage the environment and nature, and reduce commitments to affordable homes and community facilities.
“By offering a liberalised planning process with tax breaks, this is a developers charter, that will mean local communities lose their rights to resist unsustainable development and allow developers to by-pass local objections entirely.
“The guidance wants to remove current legal requirements which provide the key tools for protecting nature during the planning process. Even worse, it suggests Investment Zones could be allowed in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other protected environments.The legal requirement to achieve Net Zero by 2050 has also been completely ignored.
“As Greens we urge local councils to take a stand: to refuse to agree to a new streamlined overarching planning system; to make clear their commitment to local control of planning, and insist existing protections for the environment and for nature are retained.
“We do urgently need investment in our local communities. But Greens have a very different vision of how we can create prosperity.”
Andreas Heinemeyer, a Micklegate campaigner for York Greens, said:
“Removing proper planning controls in ‘Investment Zones’ would likely be deeply destructive. The government’s approach would allow developers to deliver shoddy houses that are cheaper to build but much more expensive to keep warm. This may profit the developers, but would result in more emissions, climate warming and higher bills. We need investment in York’s development sites, such as York Central, to serve the interests of the whole city for decades to come, not just turning a fast buck that relies on cutting corners and tax giveaways demanding nothing in return.”
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