GOVERNMENT PLANS TO ABOLISH DEMOCRACY

Conservative leader, John Smeaton, warns that local residents across Somerset
will be deprived of their right to be heard on local planning decisions.

Central Government wants to strip Councils of planning powers in a number of areas. The recent Green Paper makes it explicitly clear that County Councillors’ role for standing up for local people will be abolished. New regional planning strategies will end local discretion on many developments and major infrastructure projects will be decided at a national level. It is extremely damaging to the work of County Councils, which look after 84% of the landmass of England.

Somerset County Council has an essential role in delivering public services and has crucial transport, environment and waste responsibilities. These are inextricably linked with land use and planning. Stephen Byers has removed a key function from County Councils, who drive to enhance their countryside, revitalise their towns and improve public services.

‘It is not acceptable that local issues will be passed to an un-elected and increasingly bureaucratic regional government. This is the largest blow to democracy in the past 50 years. We at Somerset will not be bulldozed.’ Says John Smeaton, Conservative leader.

‘I am appalled with this underhanded way of centralising power and discrediting local authorities. Local people elect local councillors to provide the best services possible for their locality. How can democracy survive in a climate of bureaucracy, centralisation and Labour-induced confusion? Abolishing local residents’ say on local planning is a retrograde step. It is a violation of democracy and an affront to those people who went out and voted at the county elections.’

Deputy Conservative leader, Colin Hill added, ‘officers and councillors work hard to ensure Somerset gets the best. To take power away from us shows just how out-of-touch the Government really is. County Councils are an imperative component in service-delivery. Who can know the needs of Somerset better than those who live here and are elected to represent its interests? We refuse to be Tony Blair’s lap-dog.’

Mike Facey, Conservative spokesman for Environment, said, ‘people across Somerset will become even more disillusioned with the political process if they lose the power to influence decisions affecting their own back yard. The voice of local communities should not, and must not, be silenced.’

Ends.

Note to editors:

The Government’s Planning Green Paper (published 12 December 2001) weakens local communities’ involvement in planning in a number of ways:

- Structure Plans will be abolished removing County Councils’ role in planning (p.16)

- More decisions will be taken at a regional level, with the introduction of new ‘regional spatial strategies’ (p.21)

- National statements on infrastructure will override local views (p.27)

- 90% of planning decisions will be decided by officers rather than elected members (p.58)