Further to my earlier piece about the government not meeting a promise to publish key documents on eco-towns this month, neither opponents nor proponents are surprised. From both directions, it's seen as fairly typical. One developer said, "no surprise there then", while BARD says:
“If true, this latest delay comes as no surprise whatsoever. The whole process seems to mutate from stage to stage as it goes along, lending just further weight to the argument that the process has been flawed from the start. We have written to the Government to ask them to comply with the judge’s Order to offer up the various documentation on which they relied to compile their shortlist. We have also suggested they bring a halt the process until such time as the Judicial Review has been heard and determined. ”
Showing posts with label bard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bard. Show all posts
Friday, 19 September 2008
Eco-town decision delayed
It looks as if the government's department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) is going to be late with another of its headline announcements, this time on eco-towns.
CLG had promised to publish two key papers this month, a draft planning policy statement and a sustainability assessment of the remaining eco-town bids. But a source has told me that they will not be published until early October - after the Conservative conference - at the earliest. A CLG spokesman has told me that "we have no date for the announcement but it will be at some stage in the coming few weeks", which translates as don't hold your breath.
My source suggests that the delay is caused by a desire to make the papers as robust as possible, given the threat of court challenges. Last week, the BARD campaign won the right to take the whole eco-town process to judicial review.
The "September" announcement has already been downgraded after it became clear that the actual selection of eco-town bids will not happen until early next year - or is that sometime next year?
CLG had promised to publish two key papers this month, a draft planning policy statement and a sustainability assessment of the remaining eco-town bids. But a source has told me that they will not be published until early October - after the Conservative conference - at the earliest. A CLG spokesman has told me that "we have no date for the announcement but it will be at some stage in the coming few weeks", which translates as don't hold your breath.
My source suggests that the delay is caused by a desire to make the papers as robust as possible, given the threat of court challenges. Last week, the BARD campaign won the right to take the whole eco-town process to judicial review.
The "September" announcement has already been downgraded after it became clear that the actual selection of eco-town bids will not happen until early next year - or is that sometime next year?
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