- Council provides funds to help small businesses
- Financial help for keeping warm this winter
- Improve your health at York House
- Heathrow's airtrack train plan criticised
- Have your own say on Academies
- Mayor's Christmas invite
- Net closing on Council Tax cheats
- Step pedal jump your way to rugby!
- Borough has the lowest level of alcohol fueled crimes in London
- Play safe at Halloween warning
- Enjoy a week of entertainment at Heathfield centre
- Spreading the safety message
- New funding agreed to combat the recession
- Support your local lollipop person
- Disappointment as Boris' public transport costs rise
- Ham and Petersham win £100,000 for low carbon zone
- Borough children's favourite nursery rhyme revealed on Bookstart Day
- Eastender at East Sheen Library
- Destination Richmond
- Green fingers win prizes for winning allotments
- Free flood warnings for residents at risk in Richmond
- Huge turnout for older people's event
- RISE event success
- Best Cemetery Award for Richmond and East Sheen
- Take part in Black History Month celebrations
- World Sight Day celebrated
- Question time comes to Richmond
- 2M fears local people may loose out to Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC)
- 1,000 people control their social care budgets
- £2.85 million for new homes
- Richmond Council confirms sponsor for Shene Academy
- Richmond Council extends CO2 parking
Release Date: 07/09/2009
2M fears local people may loose out to infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC)
2M, the cross party council alliance campaigning against expansion of Heathrow, has warned that the new IPC which opened for business today may prevent local people having their say on important planning issues and so damage democracy.
Under the new regime it is hoped that major planning applications will be processed far quicker than before. The government has said that this will cut through red tape and improve efficiency, but local politicians fear less time will mean fewer people will have the opportunity to have their say on contentious applications.
Speaking on behalf of 2M Cllr Serge Lourie, Leader of Richmond Council said:
“The opening of the IPC causes us particular worries in the context of the government’s plans for a third runway for Heathrow Airport. Although consultation on the policy is due to extend to 2011 the truth is that BAA can lodge its planning application for the third runway immediately. And under the new regime this could be pushed through in less than a year.
“The government has said that the new process will be more democratic but we are not sure. The fact is that the application may now be lodged for the third runway before we have even had a chance to be consulted on the process. This opening of the IPC has unfortunate timing, coinciding as it does with the closing of a consultation on Heathrow’s Noise Action Plan. The Action Plan falls short of what was required of it by the EU Directive, and indicates that we can expect more noise around Heathrow, not less.
“The 2M Group represents almost 4 million people whose lives will be adversely affected by an increase in flights in and out of Heathrow. This is simply not something that can be rushed through. People need to be given every chance to have their say and reducing the time taken to process the application from four years down to one does not seem to be the best way to achieve this.
“In local government we are committed to efficiency but not at the expense of people’s quality of life. A balance needs to be struck and we are very concerned that the IPC regime does not get that balance right – and up to 4 million Londoners and others will suffer as a consequence.”
View the full press release