Planning,
4 July 2008
The Conservatives will scrap the infrastructure planning commission (IPC) if they win the next general election, shadow planning minister Jacqui Lait has promised.
The government agreed a concession at the bill's third reading in the Commons last week that the IPC should be reviewed after two years.
But Lait told Planning: "We are exploring ways of bringing techniques used in the legal system to planning. Getting groups together to discuss matters at pre-inquiry meetings could save a lot of time in the process."
She added: "We are very concerned about this bill and believe that we can deliver a better system without the proposals it contains."
The Conservatives pledged support on the bill's proposals for national policy statements and a single consent regime. But Lait maintained that the lack of democracy in the IPC is causing concern.
Speaking in the parliamentary debate, she said: "The review of the IPC after two years of operations will certainly take place after the general election. At that stage, we will review it out of existence. I should also put on record that anyone who applies to be a member will have a very short contract."
Lait warned that even the government's intention of speeding up the system may not be achieved because the commission would increase the likelihood of requests for judicial reviews.
"Many people sincerely believe that the system will deliver infrastructure more speedily, but I am afraid that they are likely to get an awful wake-up call," she said.
