黑洞社区

Environmental group Friends of the Earth says it is considering launching a legal challenge against the government over the recently published National Planning Policy Framework.

FoE is taking issue with the NPPF鈥檚 approach to the environment and sustainable energy and claims ministers failed to carry out a strategic environmental assessment.

The group says the new document, published earlier this week, threatens the climate and the environment, arguing it 鈥減romotes fracking, holds the door open for future coal, and makes it difficult for wind power projects to get off the ground鈥�.

FoE鈥檚 legal chief Will Rundle said the group was considering its options 鈥渢o legally challenge this failure to environmentally assess the major impacts of this new planning framework, which we think is unlawful and shows contempt for people and our planet鈥�.

The government 鈥渇ailed to carry out a 鈥榮trategic environmental assessment鈥� of the plans, leaving the public in the dark over the major environmental impacts of the new changes, and whether less damaging alternatives have been considered, discarded or considered at all鈥�, FoE said.

Kate Gordon, FoE鈥檚 senior planner, said the new NPPF had been an opportunity 鈥渢o put an end to dirty coal, boost renewable power and energy efficiency, and put climate risks front and centre 鈥� to create a more sustainable environment for us all to enjoy.

鈥淚nstead, in the middle of a heatwave, the government has further threatened our already warming climate and yet no strategic environmental assessment was ever made of the plans.鈥�

Gordon told 黑洞社区 that as it stands the NPPF prevented local authorities from objecting on principle to activity such as testing for shale gas in its area. 鈥淚t won鈥檛 affect conservation areas or areas of outstanding natural beauty, but if a local council simply doesn鈥檛 want this sort of thing taking place on its patch that won鈥檛 be enough to stop it,鈥� she added.