Green campaigners have condemned ministers for "steamrollering" objections to major new schemes for nuclear power stations, airport runways, motorways, waste incinerators and even wind farms. Friends of the Earth led green groups in attacking a White Paper unveiled by Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Communities, which will amount to the biggest shake-up of planning rules in a generation. It proposes replacing lengthy and costly public planning inquiries with an independent commission.

Green campaigners have condemned ministers for "steamrollering" objections to major new schemes for nuclear power stations, airport runways, motorways, waste incinerators and even wind farms.

Friends of the Earth led green groups in attacking a White Paper unveiled by Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Communities, which will amount to the biggest shake-up of planning rules in a generation. It proposes replacing lengthy and costly public planning inquiries with an independent commission.

Streamlining the system will cut the time taken for schemes to gain approval from several years to a limit of nine months.

"This will enable the Government to steamroller through its decisions," said an FoE spokesman, adding that public hearings such as the inquiry into a nuclear waste dump by Nirex will be a thing of the past.

Many critics said the White Paper was being introduced to make it easier for the Government to approve a new generation of nuclear... [continue via Web link]

Web link: http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2...