Parliamentary committee brands reforms 鈥榗ontradictory and confusing鈥�

The government鈥檚 National Planning Policy Framework is 鈥渃ontradictory and confusing鈥�,  a Commons committee has warned.

In a letter to prime minister David Cameron, MPs on the Enivronmental Audit Committee warned him the government鈥檚 proposed 鈥減resumption of sustainable development鈥� was 鈥渦nsatisfactory鈥� and open to legal challenges.

Joan Walley, Labour MP and chair of the committee, said: 鈥淎s it currently stands, the new planning policy framework appears contradictory and confusing.

鈥淚t pays lip service to sustainable development without providing a clear definition, potentially leaving future planning decisions open to legal challenges.鈥�

鈥淭here are environmental limits to how much development any one area can sustain and the government should acknowledge this in the final draft of the NPPF.鈥�

鈥淚f the new planning framework protects our green belt and countryside, as the government claims, then there should be no problem in defining sustainable development more clearly to avoid misinterpretation.鈥�

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