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Planning Bill becomes a law

28 November 2008

The Planning Bill, which has just received royal assent, will open the door to the faster development of green projects, according to communities secretary Hazel Blears.

Achieving status of law on the same day as the Climate Change Bill and the Energy Bill, the Planning Bill will create a single central body to make most decisions.

Ms Blears said: "One third of Britain's electricity generation capacity must be replaced in the next few years and the current planning system is not able to cope. Under the current regime there is enough renewable energy caught up in the system to power over one and a half million homes."

She added: "In the future now that the bill has been given royal assent we can begin to create the faster, fairer planning system we need to reduce our fossil fuel addiction and build up a new generation of renewable energy."

However, while environmental campaigners have welcomed the Climate Change and Energy Bill, the response to the Planning Bill has been more muted.

Some are concerned that though it is being billed as a way of fast tracking sustainable energy projects, it could also be used to overrule opposition to polluting projects such as roads, airports and power plants.

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Author: Administrator User