Putney resident and MP Justine Greening has met with councillors and the developer’s representatives to raise serious concerns about the current plans for the redevelopment of Putney Place. The application from the developers for 84-88 Upper Richmond Road is due to be considered through the council planning process shortly. The application comes at a time when the government is pushing its Planning Bill through Parliament which will see residents’ role in planning eroded further. It comes following the Greater London Authority bill last year which also reduced the role of local residents and their council in planning decisions, giving the Mayor more powers to overturn local decisions.
Justine says:
“I am concerned that the Putney Place developers seem determined to push ahead with their planning application irrespective of local concerns from residents, elected councillors and myself as a local MP. It shows why it is so wrong for Ministers to take away our local ability to have our say and decide. That’s why I voted against both the Planning Bill and the GLA Bill. Both bills were pushed through by government MPs. It is too late to stop the GLA Bill, but when the Planning Bill finally comes back to the House of Commons in a fortnight, unless the government has made concessions to stop residents being sidelined, I will vote against it again. I hope that other local MPs protect our local community’s right to take its own decisions about planning and do the same.”
Planning Bill vote:
http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2008-06-25&number=236&display=allvotes
October 10, 2008