You may have heard Eddie Mair on a recent PM programme (Radio 4), asking guests what they would like him to quiz the various party representatives about, in the run-up to the General Election.

A written suggestion has subsequently been sent by one of EDA’s fellow -members of the national network of campaign Groups, Community Voice on Planning (www.covop.org), as follows:

Dear Eddie Mair,
SUBJECTS TO QUIZ PARTY REPRESENTATIVES
I would like the respective parties to be quizzed on their understanding of how much the rural population feels aggrieved at the exploitation of the current Planning policy by developers and how powerless local councils are in the process of controlling their respective districts. Realistically affordable housing is required for first-time buyers, smaller single/couple only occupied properties are needed and in many areas the ever expanding older population requires bungalow properties. Yet current government policy is blatantly allowing developers unchallenged consumption of green spaces for house construction of the wrong type, in the wrong places and with insufficient infrastructure to support them. Instead, all over the country, open-market ‘executive’ style homes are the predominant design being applied for on agricultural and open greenspace land because its easier and cheaper to develop then brownfield sites. Yet, no constraints are then placed on the developers to proceed with actual construction so the land and its benefit to the community in its original form is lost nevertheless and cannot be challenged.

Paul Adams
DefeND North Devon
Barnstaple