ADD UPDATE, 9 February 2017: Given the extent to which Eastleigh Borough Council is ignoring the views of local residents with regard to its Local Plan deliberations, we are urging all our supporters to sign a new UK Government and Parliament petition calling for communities to be given back “the right to decide where houses are built”. The release this week of the government’s housing white paper means the time is ripe for applying such pressure!
In particular, the petition “calls for a parliamentary debate on government Housing and Planning policy over building on greenfield land and seeks community right of appeal on planning decisions and the removal of the presumption in favour of sustainable development.”
It goes on: “Too many communities are now forced to accept large housing developments seeing the irreversible loss of valuable greenfields without the right of appeal. The failure of government planning policy has resulted in the loss of valued countryside and agricultural land and leaves communities forced to grow too fast without appropriate infrastructure. Major changes to planning legislation are required to protect established communities across the UK and deliver the right housing in the right places.”
Hear, hear! At the time of writing, 17,335 people have signed this petition. Let’s add to these numbers.
To sign the petition, please click here.
