Kensington, Chelsea & Fulham
Conservatives

Calls For Rethink On Planning White Paper

30 August 2007

Plans to change conservation planning laws will create “a charter for philistines and vandals”, according to the Deputy Leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council.

Cllr Daniel Moylan said that years of work to maintain the historic character of the Royal Borough could be destroyed by a Government Whiter Paper advocating relaxed planning laws.

The White Paper includes provisions which allow homeowners to extend and alter their dwellings without planning permission - the Council has objected because these relaxations would apply to all houses including those in conservation areas.

The Council has been joined by the Joint Committee of the National Amenity Societies in condemning the Government’s proposals and in calling for the law to instead be tightened up.

Councillor Daniel Moylan, Deputy Leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council said: “I am delighted that the Joint Committee agrees with us that the current proposals are a charter for philistines and vandals to destroy the years of work to maintain the character of areas such as Kensington and Chelsea.

“I urge all those who are interested in maintaining the historic environment of England to make their views known to the Government. I hope that the Government will pay attention to local communities’ desire to maintain their own character. At a time when the Government is rightly concerned about cloned streets, it seems that their actions in this White Paper are designed to undermine that aim.”