New planning bill must support locals

Richard Leonard says the Scottish Parliament’s new planning bill must support communities and councils with regard to decisions such as the battle over the controversial pyrolysis plant at Carnbroe.

He said:“One of the features of the past 10 years has been a centralisation of power and one which is very acutely felt in this community is centralisation over the planning process.

“Too often we’ve seen big projects like the incinerator at Carnbroe – where the council’s planning committee properly took a view that it was outwith the local plan, had no support in the community and voted against it – where the developer appeals, a reporter is appointed and at central government level, favours the developer over local people and democratically elected councillors.

“A new planning bill is starting its passage through the Scottish Parliament and that’s an opportunity for us to look at whether that balance of power is right. I don’t think it is, so I’d like to Campaigners have fought for several years against plans to build a pyrolysis plant in Carnbroe see a change. There needs to be much greater equality.”

He added:“I’ve always worked as part of a team including councillors in trying to address issues locally, whether around greenbelt development like between Calderbank and Carnbroe, the need for town-centre regeneration or on public health issues.

Referencing the current potential for withdrawal of six Monklands bus services, he said:“I don’t think the standard of public transport is at a level I’d want to see it.

“If the private sector isn’t going to provide a proper public service, then we need to have a holistic look at the provision of services.

“It’s a good example of why, when the government puts forward its transport bill, there should be the opportunity for local authorities to become bus operators directly rather than contracting to private operators.

“Part of the North Lanarkshire manifesto was for the return of bus passenger services to council control and that’s the direction we want to go. In part, it’s about looking at the powers that local councils have.”

No thanks