Lopsided Planning system destroying communities – George 

Lopsided Planning system destroying communities – George 

In response to the Deputy PM’s rejection of a request from St Ives residents to review the decision the grant permission to convert the town’s last care home into yet more holiday accommodation, local MP, Andrew George, called for the planning system to be balanced, to give communities a proper role in the decision making process. 

“The planning system is far too lopsided. Developers get a second chance. Communities, like St Ives on this occasion, which must suffer the consequences do not. That’s why I (and my Party) have long advocated there should be a balanced third party right of appeal, when permission is granted which contradicts local policy, as happened here, or when substantial local opposition meets a threshold of planning law reasons. 

“Developments which add to the problems of an area, like this will (after all St Ives already has an abundance of holiday accommodation and too few care home places and homes for locals) can legitimately in law keep applying and appealing in the system till they get their way. The community is just left to endure the consequences without redress, unless of course they go to expensive judicial review. 

“If anything, the deputy PM is currently pushing through new law to make the situation even worse. There’s little left for the community to do now.”