Obviously newspaper reports always have to be taken with a slight pinch of salt, however in the
Telegraph:
In a speech to the CBI, the Prime Minister will say that the legal right to
ask for a judge to review controversial planning decisions will be sharply
curbed, declaring: “We urgently need to get a grip on this.
Mr Cameron will argue that the rules are being abused to frustrate
economically vital developments and will say a “massive growth industry” of
seeking judicial reviews of planning decisions has been fuelled by
solicitors and campaign groups.
Many applicants are guilty of “time-wasting” and bringing “hopeless cases”
simply to waste developers’ time, the Prime Minister will say. He will
outline a number of changes the Government wants to make, including
shortening the three-month time limit on applying for a review.
Charges for an application will rise “so people think twice about
time-wasting.” The number of possible appeals against decisions will also be
cut from four to two.
Hmm strange tone considering what he
said just 2 years ago (my emphasis):
David Cameron
will announce this morning that he hopes to liberate four areas from
the strictures of red tape and central government as he attempts to
deliver his idea of the "Big Society".
[Vanguard communities] may have central government budgets handed over to them to
administer at street level, attempt to improve local transport links
themselves, take over command of local assets such as pubs and community
services, have a greater say over planning permission or local
transport and, in the case of Liverpool, allow volunteers to keep a
popular local museum open for longer hours.
Cameron will say in a
speech in Liverpool: "Yes, there will be problems – financial problems,
legal problems, bureaucratic problems. Yes, there will be objections –
local objections, objections from vested interests. But you know what?
We're happy about that. This process is all about learning. It's about
pushing power down and seeing what happens. It's about unearthing the
problems as they come up on the ground and seeing how we can get round
them. It's about holding our hands up, saying 'We haven't got all the
answers. Let's work them out, together.'"
If I make stuff up as I go along, treat everyone as though they're stupid and be incompetent can I earn
£142,500 per annum?
