British Wildlife- vol 9 no 3 Feb 1998

Green field developments

A major policy statement on planning, made by Government in January, has been widely condemned by environmental groups. This followed controversial decisions by the Environment Secretary to allow substantial greenfield developments outside Newcastle and in rural Hertfordshire, plus an instruction overturning the department's own inspectors report and forcing an extra 12,800 houses to he accommodated by the West Sussex Structure Plan. The CPRE has called for a radical reform of the planning process. The Government has subsequently suggested that a greenfield-development tax may he introduced. Tory politicians from the rural shires are also pressing for a greater emphasis to be placed on brownfield housing sites. The debate is sure to hot up over the spring.

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