A government consultation on changing planning regulations to allow extensions to be built without planning permission, is now open for comments.

We would encourage all civic groups and anyone else concerned with the consultation to respond by visiting http://bit.ly/UKfMtb, You have until December 24, at 5pm.

You can leave any comments or queries you have on this consultation here.

Economic recovery should not come at the cost of safety, environment, quality of life. This is a big mistake we will not be able to rectify once implemented. Basements and extensions are already spoiling the neighbourhoods in which we live and the proposed laws will only make this worse. The south west will become the wild west. I hope we will be given a chance to oppose such horrors!

These proposals are supposed to be targetted at boosting a stagnant economy (which is in that state due to the policies of the present and previous governments) but the only people who have any money at present are the very rich who have had a tax cut and already live in huge mansions, whereas the rest of us are having our incomes and pensions eroded in real terms and not least those who might wish to build on are having their child benefit chopped off at the knees. So it probably won’t amount to much anyway.
There is also a principle at stake here: Permitted development rights should not outweigh legitimate objection rights!

The opportunity will no longer exist for councils to protect the amenities of neighbouring properties or the character of residential areas. 
Planning applications currently determined by local authorities, carefully taking account of the views of neighbours and neighbourhoods, will be determined by Parliamentary Order without any consultation or negotiations.