Countryside campaigners CPRE [1] strongly welcomed today's (Thursday) decision by the Government to delay consideration of the Planning Bill in the House of Commons.

The Bill will not now complete its Report stage until probably Monday 23 June, according to a statement by the Leader of the House of Commons today.

Paul Miner, CPRE's Senior Planning Campaigner, said:

'We're pleased that the Government appears to have realised that the creation of a new, unaccountable quango to take major planning decisions is a matter of huge public interest and concern. As currently conceived this proposed new quango is likely to make the planning system less trusted without being more efficient.

‘We hope that the Government will use the additional time to come up with an alternative that allows all the relevant environmental and social implications of major infrastructure development to be considered in a better and fairer way'.

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

2. For more information see CPRE’s press release ahead of the Report Stage of the Planning Bill http://www.cpre.org.uk/news/view/502