‘Proposals will decimate the character of our borough’, Eastbourne councillors call on Government to abandon planning changes

Eastbourne Borough Council has passed a motion calling on the Government to scrap its proposals for planning reform.
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Councillor Colin Swansborough submitted the motion at Full Council on Wednesday, July 21, relating to the government white paper, Planning for the Future, which was first brought about last summer.

According to the Government website, the Planning for the Future consultation proposes reforms of the planning system to streamline and modernise the planning process, bring a new focus to design and sustainability, improve the system of developer contributions to infrastructure and ensure more land is available for development where it is needed.

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Councillor Swansborough said, “We are concerned that Government proposals to deregulate planning will remove the rights of residents to influence or object to inappropriate development where they live.

Eastbourne Borough Councillor Colin Swansborough. SUS-210722-171017001Eastbourne Borough Councillor Colin Swansborough. SUS-210722-171017001
Eastbourne Borough Councillor Colin Swansborough. SUS-210722-171017001

“These proposals will decimate the character of our borough and give carte blanche to developers to build what they please across large areas without needing planning permission.”

A council spokesperson said they are calling on the Government to ‘throw aside’ the planning proposals and to instead undertake a wholesale review of Permitted Development Rights, make the national Planning Inspectorate more accountable to local people and implement stronger controls to ensure that ministers making decisions on planning applications are not connected either financially or personally with developers or related parties to the application.

Councillor Swansborough added, “We believe that residents have the right to a say over development that will change the area in which they live and that local councils, in consultation with businesses and residents, are best placed to understand the issues in their area and to respond with a strategy tailored to that area.”