§ Lord Suffieldasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is in the national interest that a developer outside a county should seek the overturning of decisions made by the District Council of that county by appealing to the Department of the Environment.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Strathclyde)It is an important feature of the planning system that applicants aggrieved by a decision of a local authority can appeal to an Inspector appointed by my right honourable friend so that their proposal can be independently and impartially reassessed. There is no obvious reason why this right of appeal should be restricted to those who live or trade within the local authority's area; such a limitation would not be in the national interest.