Call for planning change (From Stroud News and Journal)

Call for planning change

A STROUD town councillor is calling for the government to give people the right to appeal when controversial planning applications are passed.

At the national Green Party Conference Stroud Town Councillor Carol Kambites pushed for an emergency motion objecting to parts of the Government's consultation paper on planning.

The Greens would like to see changes to planning law giving more power to objectors.

"At the moment if a planning application is turned down the developer has the right to appeal against that decision," said Cllr Kambites.

"But if it is passed objectors have no right of appeal."

She called for an even-handed system giving objectors that right.

"It happens already in some European countries and it could be made to work," she said.

For more on this story and much more Five Valleys news, see thiss week's SNJ