Out-Law News 1 min. read
17 Nov 2011, 4:27 pm
The Government will "consult on whether the legislation for National Parks Authorities needs to better reflect their role in facilitating sustainable development", the plan said.
Campaigners fear the duty to “facilitate sustainable development” could require Parks Authorities to allow more building in England’s 10 National Parks and the Labour Party has claimed that developers could be given a “licence to build” under new guidelines for national parks authorities.
Defra insisted the consultation, which begins next month, was not about changing the protection National Parks had.
Each park is run by its own National Park Authority (NPA), which has two statutory duties - to conserve the countryside and its wildlife, and to allow people to enjoy it. However, recent funding cuts to the NPA have lead to concerns that development may be encouraged to bring in extra income.
The consultation about the changes to the National Parks guidance is due to be launched next month and will run to March 2012. It was first recommended by the Government’s rural communities’ advisers in June last year. They recommended that it may be “appropriate to change the legislation to reflect the importance of sustainable development” in the Parks’ core duties.
“This latest consultation, imposing a duty on the Parks to promote the now infamous and ill-defined ‘sustainable development’, could lead to a licence to build on our National Parks,” said Mary Creagh, the shadow Environment secretary.
There are currently 55 pages of planning guidance to protect National Parks which are proposed to be replaced with a single paragraph in the controversial new draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
“This consultation is not about changing the protection that National Parks have in the planning system. National Parks are England’s crown jewels and will remain that way,” a DEFRA spokesman said. The Government does “not think that there is a problem with how National Parks currently deliver sustainable development”, however it had agreed “to seek public views through consultation”.
