Sussex Charity Urges MPs To Protect Nature And Local Communities from Planning Bill

A Sussex charity has written to MPs asking them to accept amendments and mitigate the ‘most misguided elements’ of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. 

CPRE Sussex is backing four amendments to the Bill put forward in the House of Lords. 

The proposed changes are critical to safeguard local democratic accountability, create sustainable places for people to live, stop developers destroying wild places and protect our globally-important chalk stream habitats.

CPRE Sussex director Paul Steedman said:

“The Bill as originally proposed exemplifies the poisonous rhetoric which has falsely pitted nature against growth and ‘builders’ against ‘blockers’.

"It contemptuously treats much-treasured wildlife and local environment-lovers as enemies of those struggling economically.

“CPRE Sussex is a major advocate for truly affordable housing – especially for social rent – that meets local needs.

"But ‘build, baby, build’ is not a serious policy solution to the crisis in housing affordability.

"Making the planning system the scapegoat, and throwing local democracy and nature to the wolves, will not fix a broken housing market.”

The government’s original bill strips away critical protections for nature and local people’s ability to shape the places where they live.

It tips the balance of the planning system decisively in favour of major developers without doing anything to tackle the crisis in housing affordability that has blighted Sussex and the country.

Calling on MPs to do the right thing, Mr Steedman added:

“CPRE Sussex’s thousands of members and supporters are counting on you to stand up for nature, local communities and the countryside, by voting to retain the House of Lords’ amendments.”