Buxton Civic Association say Government planning changes leave town ‘vulnerable’

They say the Planning White Paper 2020 proposes ‘weaker planning protection’ for many of the most valuable natural sites in rural and countryside locations.

BCA - which owns Poole’s Cavern - has nearly 700 members and more than 200 acres of protected woodland around the town.

Chairman Peter Phillipson says the new Government scheme - in which areas are divided into growth, renewal and protection zones - is ‘over-simplified’.

Though the Government says it wants greater public involvement in the planning system BCA say local people would have no say over ‘whole swathes’ of proposed new

development.

Growth zones would be granted automatic outline consent - which Peter describes as ‘extremely dangerous for the environment and local communities’.

He added that the Government also appeared to have reneged on a commitment in its 25-year environmental plan to put the environment ‘at the heart’ of planning.

Peter said: “There is very little added protection for wildlife sites or wildlife within this white paper.

“National parks, sites of special scientific interest and internationally-designated wildlife habitats were not even mentioned under the protected zone section of the legislation.

“We know that the planning system has evolved over many years however we do not agree that a wholesale scrapping of the existing system is necessary.

“Representing a rural town and its surroundings on the edge of a national park we are very concerned that the white paper seems to be proposing weaker planning protection for many of the most valuable natural sites in rural and countryside locations.”

Before the white paper’s launch in August this year PM Boris Johnson argued that ‘newt-counting delays’ slowed down housebuilding - adding that to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic the country would ‘build better and build greener’ but also ‘faster’.

Among proposals in the paper are calls for green spaces to be ‘protected for future generations by allowing for more building on brownfield land’ and the planning process to be ‘overhauled’ and replaced with a ‘clearer, rules-based system’.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.