When even English Heritage is moved to dump on you from its rarified height, even this government must recongise something's up. EH has joined the NT in rubbishing the draft national planning policy framework. Although its website remains silent on the issue, the quango is quoted in today's Telegraph:
The way the bias towards granting permission is currently worded will result in harm being done to the historic environment without a justification being required, when currently one would be required. There is no policy to help decision-makers deal with proposals where there is moderate or minor harm to heritage assets, such as listed buildings. Most decisions affecting them will fall into these categories. The inference is that no or little justification is required for such harmful changes, which cumulatively could have a devastating effect on our nationally important buildings and sites.
First it was forests, and now it is fields, and so a new coalition of the unwilling emerges, with the labour party, ably led by Mary Creagh, willing the battle for green space and its importance to the quality of people's lives.
I should declare that I have signed the NT's petition, noting:
Whether the government's proposals are cynical or merely careless, they have nothing to do with "sustainable development", as they keep on claiming. I think it imperative that local planning authorities are given a clear framework to work within which enables them to balance future housing and business development with local communities' interests, values and historic circumstances. Anything less than this looks like vandalism.
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