Responding to the government's Land-use Framework
consultation, Roger Mortlock, CPRE
chief executive, said:
'Land is a finite resource. However,
this simple truth rarely seems to influence how we use the
limited supply we have. Our land is under more pressure than
ever, with demand set to soon outstrip supply unless ill-judged
decision making is replaced by a more strategic and joined-up
approach. This will be the measure of the new Land-use
Framework's success.
'Land provides us with food, homes,
energy and countless other things our society depends on. The
framework should guide sustainable decisions that balance each of
these demands. This will require a truly cross-government
approach that gives the framework the teeth it needs to hold
decision makers to account.
'If the government is serious about
tackling the competing crises this country faces, the framework
must not be allowed to sit on a shelf gathering dust. It must
have a clear plan for implementation and be regularly reviewed,
as is the case with the Land Commission in
Scotland.
'Done well, the new framework could
help us build new homes and infrastructure in the most suitable
and strategic locations, support nature's recovery and help to
tackle the climate crisis.
'Land is critical to economic growth,
but our finite land should not needlessly scarified in the name
of growth.'
