The Growth and Infrastructure Bill to fast-track the planning process has received its second reading.
But the Bill is a missed opportunity to help develop planning as a core component of the growth agenda, says expert Professor Alister Scott.
Professor Scott said: “This ill- thought out Bill fails to connect the key issues facing economic growth within one coherent strategy - uncertainty, high business rates, lack of financial support and investment are the key barriers to growth.
"Perversely, in this Bill, business rates revaluations are actually delayed.
“The lack of appreciation of the environment and community as assets for development reflects a one-dimensional view of economic growth.
“The Bill is presented at a time when public confidence in politicians is at its lowest and ministers should not forget their populist mantra of ‘localism, localism, localism’.
“Now, amidst concerns that the wrong sort of localism might result, the Government have seen fit to change the agenda in favour of ‘centralism, centralism, centralism’.
“Never has the planning system been in such a pickle.
“There is an opportunity out there but someone needs to tell the Government to stop putting too much fertiliser on otherwise they will kill the seedling that is the new economy.”
The Government insists the new legislation will support the aspirations of hard working people by reducing the bureaucratic barriers that stop British businesses from creating jobs has been introduced to Parliament today to support local jobs and local growth.
It says the bill will help the country compete on the global stage by setting out a comprehensive series of practical reforms to reduce confusing and overlapping red tape that delays and discourages business investment, new infrastructure and job creation.
