Clause 40 - Statement of development principles
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill
4:30 pm
Mr Matthew Green (Ludlow, Liberal Democrat)
I am slightly confused. I thought that the amendments did tie together, and that there was a good reason for using ''may'' instead of ''must'' in those circumstances. The amendments would ensure that local authorities had the right to decline to give a decision on the statement of development principles if insufficient evidence were provided by an applicant, and would also allow them to consider a statement of development principles in the light of the legal requirement for a possible environmental impact assessment. The hon. Member for Spelthorne must have had reasons for tabling the amendments. Some of them might have been tabled some weeks ago and in the intervening time he might have forgotten why he did it, but I think that they are sensible and I was hoping to hear more about them.