It's no good complaining!

It seems that proposals in the new Planning Bill will mean that householders will have little right to complain in the process of major infrastructure projects, whether disruption, noise, smell, light or pollution. This refers to construction projects such as airports, rail links, roads and power stations.

The decision on these projects will be made by the new Planning Commission, with a nominal opportunity for councils to present negative impact assessments, but councils will not be able to act on elector complaints. In effect the local community and council may be "consulted" and then ignored.

Th implication is that contractors will be able to work through the night, whatever this means to local residents who are affected.

The emphasis is on speed, cost and the general public interest, (and of course at times to dig the Government out of delays from dithering). Does anyone doubt that the way is now open to build the power stations of whatever kind which should have been planned and built by now?

Adolf Hitler was reported to have said, "Society's needs come before the individual's." Perhaps we could add that the proposals come dangerously close to the behaviour by the Chinese authorities in the compulsory demolition of housing to build the Olympic sites.