LETTER: Law of unintended consequences

Contrary to Mrs Millson’s letter (County Times April 10), parliamentary democracy has served this country well and we do not need unelected Commissioners to issue arbitrary directives and for Local Planning Authorities (LPA) to be fined for failing to meet them.
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Road pollution in this country has been exacerbated by over- development in areas such as Storrington, which continues unabated due to the Coalition’s failure to deliver on its promises of Localism.

Of course increased population, due to uncontrolled borders, does nothing to reduce the demand for housing, or the need for infrastructure upgrading.

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The second major cause of air pollution is the lack of investment in our road system, whilst EU expenditure has continued apace in areas with low economic growth and population density.

The engine of our economy is in the South East, where the need for major infrastructure investment is long overdue.

We also need more gas fired and fewer diesel oil fuelled vehicles.

The 1995 Environment Act required LPAs to draw up an AQ compliance Action Plan and in 2011, Ministers were nice enough to transfer penalties to LPAs (and hence the taxpayer) who ‘cause/contribute’ to pollution.

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If more money is going to be taken from the taxpayer, then surely it would be better spent on highways improvement.

So on one hand Horsham District Council is threatened with fines for refusing inappropriate speculative planning applications in and around Storrington, whilst on the other hand it faces fines for not controlling air pollution in the area, when it is not even responsible for highways.

That is not only inequitable it is invidious and when I referred the matter to the European Court of Justice, they suggested that I should contact someone in Westminster! Not much help there then.

So, how might we fund major infrastructure upgrading? Perhaps we could recover some of the cost of EU membership (estimated at around £165 billion per annum by Professor Congdon) or withhold overseas aid to corrupt countries.

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Alternatively we might bring back control of our borders, to limit the need for more housing and infrastructure upgrading.

Patrick Dearsley’s excellent letter cites another case where arbitrary EU directives have raised the cost of electricity, driving energy intensive businesses to countries such as China and India, where several hundred coal fired power stations are being built, thereby causing an overall increase in global CO2 emissions.

Such is the law of unintended consequences and we don’t need any more interference from the unelected of Brussels.

ROGER ARTHUR

(UKIP) Horsham district councillor for Chanctonbury and prospective parliamentary candidate for

Horsham, North Street, Horsham