§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what role parish councils will play in the revised planning procedures envisaged by the Government for(a) major infrastructure projects and (b) other planning applications. [56032]
§ Ms KeebleLocal planning authorities are required to consult or notify various organisations and bodies. This includes parish councils that have asked to be notified of certain applications. We are concerned that the present arrangements for consulting expert bodies on planning and other cases are not working as effectively as they might. The distinction between statutory and non-statutory consultees has become blurred and consultation can often be a source of delay.
One option proposed in our consultation paper "Planning: Delivering a Fundamental Change" is to clarify the basis of determining whether bodies should be statutory consultees and reduce their number. Decisions about which bodies might in future be statutory consultees will be made in the light of the consultation. The consultation paper also contains a number of proposals to promote better engagement of local communities in shaping the future development of their areas.
We have proposed the introduction of a new procedure which would enable Parliament to make a decision in principle on certain major infrastructure projects. It is for Parliament to determine how this procedure might operate and how representations from interested organisations, such as parish councils, might be considered.