Clause 2 - Regional planning bodies
Planning and Compulsory Purchase (Re-committed) Bill
3:45 pm
Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight, Conservative)
I am pleased to support the amendments because, as the hon. Member for Ludlow has pointed out, they sharply illustrate the key problem, which is that local authorities are going to lose powers either to a nominee or a group of nominees of the Secretary of State, or to the Secretary of State himself. Neither the nominees nor, to a lesser extent, the Secretary of State, will have any democratic accountability within the region.
The group of nominees that has been appointed to the regional planning body for the south-east of England, fortuitously, includes a member of the local authority in my constituency. His name is Harry Rees and he is the economic development portfolio holder. Until he retired recently, he ran a successful tea shop in Shanklin, so he is eminently qualified for such an illustrious position.