Maldon: Campaigners' right to fight could change (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)
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Maldon: Campaigners' right to fight could change
3:00pm Monday 3rd December 2012 in Local News By Emma Robinson
Protestors at the site of a proposed Tesco store in Wantz Road, Maldon
Campaigners against development projects in the Maldon district could have their rights to challenge planning rules severely restricted.
In a speech to the Confederation of British Industry, David Cameron said that the legal right to ask for a judge to review controversial planning decisions will be sharply curbed.
He said: “We urgently need to get a grip on this” and described many planning applications up for review as “pointless and vexatious”.
He also vowed to slash three-month consultation periods on future government policy proposals and reduce the time people can hear cases.
Burnham town councillor Jack Sheppard, who is currently urging residents to get behind a planning consultant to fight the plan for 450 new homes in the town, said he thought the idea was wrong.
He said: “That’s fine for him to say because he doesn’t have to challenge anything, he’s not going to have any awful buildings put up next to his house."
See this week's MBS for the full story.
