Page 10 - link magazine

10 swindonlink.com • September 2011
Changes to the planning system are

Foster for Swindon deeply fl awed and could have dire
consequences for communities

Richard Pagett of environmental group Purton Ps&Qs explains
People Like You - Providing a Home that the notion of sustainable development is misunderstood

Streamlining the national plan- The defi nition for development
ning policies of over 1,000 pages continues: ‘We must accommodate the
Make a big difference to children to around 65 is welcome, but it is new ways by which we will earn our
and young people in Swindon. Foster. inevitable that there will be either living in a competitive world.’ This is
insuffi cient detail, lack of clarity or surely self-evident and would apply
suffi cient fog to create opportuni- equally to development without
ties to hijack the planning process growth. It goes on:
01793 465700
familyplacement@swindon.gov.uk for short-term commercial ends. ‘We must house a rising population,
www.swindon.gov.uk There is a real danger that this which is living longer and wants to
hijacking will occur with the use of make new choices.’ This is quite un-
the term ‘sustainable development’ as fathomable. The ‘rising population’ is
it is defi ned in the framework. a problem of our own making and
The presumption in simply accommodating
favour of sustainable it without further com-
development is to be mentary seems quite
warmly welcomed, if only irresponsible.
the concept of sustain- The UK population is
able development were set to rise to 70 million
adequately defi ned, ex- by 2050. In the UK we
plained and unequivocal. have fi nite land resources
Sadly it is not. and many authorities
What is clear, according have calculated that the
to the Chancellor of the optimum population of
Exchequer’s statement in this year’s Britain is 30 to 35 million.
budget, is that the answer to devel- It is not enough to say simply that
opment growth should wherever we must house a rising population. We
possible be ‘yes.’ need to do more , we need to refl ect
There is a clear tension between and recognise that our population
economic growth and sustainable growth is unsustainable. Merely re-
development and this new docu- sponding by building more houses,
ment provides inadequate guidance is inappropriate and, of course, un-
on both. sustainable. We pay our politicians
There is a presumption that there to do better than that.
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST PRICES IN 2011 will be more certainty to communi- The document continues: ‘our
ties, developers and investors, and lives, and the places in which we live
a reinforcement of the emphasis on them, can be better, but they will
a positive plan-led approach to sus- certainly be worse if things stagnate.’
tainable growth. Yet there is no clar- What a negative way of presenting
ity on what constitutes sustainable a superb opportunity. Sustainable
growth; indeed it is quite clear that development has everything to
this presumption is merely a recipe offer the present generation and
for anarchic planning outcomes. future generations, yet to say that if
The fi rst sentence of the Ministe- we do not do that, we will stagnate
See the carpet or fl oor rial Foreword says: ‘the purpose of simply misunderstands the way that
covering of your choice, planning is to help achieve sustainable development occurs.
where it will be enjoyed, next development.’ It concludes, ‘sustainable develop-
to your other furnishings. The above statement is poten- ment is about change for the better, and
tially the best part of this framework not only in our built environment.’ It
Home Choose Carpets - the
family run business with over document because it is accurate and really has become very muddled;
sustainable development is not
appropriate.
30 year’s experience of serving Sadly, the defi nition of sustain- about change for the better, but it is
customers in the Swindon area. able development in the document about change. And it cannot possibly
Free estimates. Luxury underlay, undermines that purpose. It says be only about our built environment.
all accessories and installation ‘sustainable means ensuring that better The concept of sustainable develop-
included in the price! lives for ourselves [sic] don’t mean worse ment is an equal priority, not only for
lives for future generations.’ Given that natural resources but also economic
No hidden extras; no we have no idea what future genera- development and social justice.
obligation - just great service tions will think is a better life, it is The defi nition presented by this
Appointments to suit you: impossible to know how to run our Ministerial Foreword, on which the
day, evening or weekend lives in order to provide equivalent new planning framework hangs
lives for the future. is deeply unsatisfactory. It seems
Call Trevor Salter on This is further compromised by to be completely ignorant of what
01793 812995 the defi nition for development which sustainable development means de-
or 07860 882588 says development means growth. There spite this government and previous
are several studies to show that governments being involved with
or email: development does not necessarily sustainable development concepts
homechoosecarpets@hotmail.com mean growth and, some countries for more than two decades.
www.carpetsswindon.co.uk recognise that there is more to • Read Richard’s full analysis at
development than simply growth. www.swindonlink.com

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