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Brown struggling to avoid defeat on the Planning Bill
The prime minister has been phoning potential Labour rebels while Hazel Blears, local government secretary and John Healey, planning minister, held talks last night to avert a full-scale rebellion as 60 Labour MPs are ready to defeat the bill. If all opposition parties vote against, it would take about 34 Labour MPs to rebel to defeat the plan.
At least one rebel has been won over by the talks. Clive Betts has welcomed a concession which forces the Infrastructure Planning Commission to be reviewed after two years, with the possibility of a return to ministerial scrutiny.
The bill has provoked a storm of protest from environmentalists, local campaigners and democratisation activists,because if passed, it will hand power over major planning decisions such a nuclear power plant or airport runway to an unelected quango. If the bill is approved, an independent infrastructure planning commission would decide the applications.
Other concessions include greater oversight of the new commission by Commons select committees and a rule forcing the commission to take account of a local authority report before making planning decisions.There will also be new rights for those individuals affected by compulsory purchase orders.
Liberal Democrat local government spokesperson Dan Rogerson said the safeguards do not go far enough.
"The government is hell bent on ramming yet another unpopular, unnecessary measure through the House of Commons," he said.
"Many Labour MPs and even Cabinet ministers know that Hazel Blears is bulldozing local democracy. And by voting down amendments to make the new commission take our environment seriously, the government has laid waste to its green credentials."
At least one rebel has been won over by the talks. Clive Betts has welcomed a concession which forces the Infrastructure Planning Commission to be reviewed after two years, with the possibility of a return to ministerial scrutiny.
The bill has provoked a storm of protest from environmentalists, local campaigners and democratisation activists,because if passed, it will hand power over major planning decisions such a nuclear power plant or airport runway to an unelected quango. If the bill is approved, an independent infrastructure planning commission would decide the applications.
Other concessions include greater oversight of the new commission by Commons select committees and a rule forcing the commission to take account of a local authority report before making planning decisions.There will also be new rights for those individuals affected by compulsory purchase orders.
Liberal Democrat local government spokesperson Dan Rogerson said the safeguards do not go far enough.
"The government is hell bent on ramming yet another unpopular, unnecessary measure through the House of Commons," he said.
"Many Labour MPs and even Cabinet ministers know that Hazel Blears is bulldozing local democracy. And by voting down amendments to make the new commission take our environment seriously, the government has laid waste to its green credentials."
Tue, 24th Jun 2008