‘Today’s Queen’s Speech contains welcome measures for the countryside, but also misses key opportunities. In business-proofing its programme, we hope the Government will not lose sight of the fundamental value of the countryside and the environment to people’s lives.’

This was the response of Ben Stafford, Head of Campaigns at CPRE [1], to the legislative programme announced in Parliament today.

KEY MEASURES

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill: Part of this Bill will implement the Government’s proposals for regional planning. It will integrate regional economic and spatial strategies, and pass responsibility for developing the new strategy to the Regional Development Agencies and local authority leaders [2].

Ben Stafford said:

‘Despite the reference to local government up front, the title of this Bill does not leave us jumping for joy. Economic development and construction are undeniably important, but the environment and local democracy must carry equal weight. This Bill will be a crucial test of the Government’s green credentials.’

Marine and Coastal Access Bill: This long-awaited Bill will improve the protection of wildlife at sea, establish a new system of marine planning and improve access to the coast. Environmental organisations have been campaigning for a Marine Bill for many years.

Ben Stafford said:

‘It is a huge relief to see this Bill emerge at last, after long years of waiting. Let us hope that Ministers can now steer it safely home. To do so, they will need to listen to calls for stronger protection for marine wildlife, and take action to protect precious seascapes too.

We welcome the provision for an access corridor around the English coastline, which will give millions of people an experience of this country’s magical coastal landscapes. Thorough local consultation will be necessary to ensure that landscape, wildlife, leisure and business interests are reconciled.”

Heritage Protection Bill: This, another long-awaited piece of legislation, was included in the Government’s draft Legislative Programme in May, but failed to make it into today’s Queen’s Speech. It would have constituted the first reforms to heritage protection for more than 30 years, and introduced a more ‘joined-up’ approach to protecting our heritage [3].

Ben Stafford said:

‘We welcome the dredging of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill from the murky depths of Whitehall, but sadly the Heritage Protection Bill seems to have sunk without trace. This Bill has been more than seven years in preparation. If Ministers are serious about protecting our unrivalled cultural heritage – and they should be – they now need to press ahead with reforms that do not need parliamentary time. They must also restate their commitment to legislating as soon as possible.’

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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.

2.  The Government outlined its proposals in the document, “Prosperous Places: Taking Forward the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration – Government Response to the Consultation.” http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/citiesandregions/govresponseprosperousplaces

3.  The Bill would have handed responsibility for designations to English Heritage, seeking to unify the designation and consents regime of the country’s heritage assets into a single system. This would allow clearer and easier access to information for both professionals and public alike, while providing a more ‘joined-up’ approach to heritage protection. It was intended that the Bill would be accompanied by a re-writing of PPG15 (Planning and the Historic Environment) and PPG16 (Archaeology and Planning) into a single Planning Policy Statement for the Historic Environment.