Planning reform – could it change the face of Sydenham?

Are you dismayed by the prospect of yet another “chicken shop” appearing in Sydenham Road? Or local pubs like the Prince Albert closing down? Or small strips of land which were previously gardens or recreation spaces being grabbed by greedy developers?

Well all that may be about to change.

The coalition government has promised to put forward a new Planning Act which will “radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which inhabitants live.”  The proposals would mean “giving local people the power to engage in genuine local planning through collaborative democracy – designing a local plan from the ‘bottom up’, starting with the aspirations of neighbourhoods.”

Here are some of the proposals:

 • Neigbourhood plans to protect local shops and services from being lost and encouraging the types of business locals want to see

 • An end to “garden napping”

 • A community “right of appeal” against planning decisions

 • Stronger enforcement against breaches of planning control  

For more details see the Civic Voice website

www.civicvoice.org.uk/news/civic-movement-rallies-behind-a-peoples-revolution-in-planning/