Planning is powerless; 'eco-literacy' is key

Good...

.......and the point is? What tosh. I am a comiitted and professional environmentalist but this is complete and utter nonsense. A duty of local responsibility would simply become another paper excercise for consultants to flog to developers. You complain about the lack of red tape, then talk about EIA fatigue!!! I don't think that you really understanmd the relationship between SEA and EIA. You must realise that developers are by-and-large trying to maximise their profits, yes (they are in business after all!!!), but in doing so deliver development that people want to buy. This is a large driver. Perhaps is we could get some educates/litterate councillors in our local authorities who have some understanding of environmental or planning matters we would make more progress than all the red tape in China.

I agree with the suggestion fully . as a planner of many years. This Government does not seem to consider the environment as an issue. The Process of Fracking alone will put at risk all our water supplies placing at severe risk the brewing industry too. The pollution affects are not known sufficiently well to say yes to this process. It may be fine in the US miles away from settlements but here it is risk madness. I have travelled widely in Europe - the ability for us to generate electricity by renewables has barely broken the surface. Just the ability to construct roads sand renew their surfaces, add to factories roofs, agricultural buildings roofs, to mention but a few for solar generation is neatly glossed over or swept under the carpet. Had we started that investment 25 years ago we would not be the deep mire now. The cost of extraction of shale gas is costly environmentally and costly to get out. Cheap fuel is but a myth and Planning's environmental credentials ( the whole reason why Planning laws were set up!!) are once again murdered on the supposed lie of this being economic growth.