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Prescott 'stripping grassroots of power' Tories attack move
Yorkshire Post - 13 February
2004
By Brendan Carlin Political Editor
John Prescott was last night accused of blatantly stripping
powers from local councils in a desperate attempt to beef up his "milk
and water" regional assemblies.
The Deputy Prime Minister yesterday announced that a Yorkshire
mini-parliament would be able to overrule local councils approving large-scale
developments. In a controversial move, Mr Prescott's department unveiled
plans for any elected regional assembly to be able to veto major planning
applications if the schemes contradicted a "regional spatial strategy"
drawn up by the mini-parliament.
The powers were last night described by the Office of the
Deputy Prime Minister as a "prime example" of how executive
decisions would be devolved from Whitehall to the English regions if Yorkshire
- as well as the North-East and the North-West - voted to set up an assembly
in this October's referendum.
Mr Prescott's officials made clear an assembly would be able
to intervene against contentious planning schemes without first referring
the dispute to Ministers in London. That could include a major housing
estate which contradicted regional guidance rules.
And Regions Minister Nick Raynsford said: "We recognise
the people best placed to make decisions affecting the regions are the
people who live in the regions".
But Tory regions spokesman David Curry branded the move clear proof that
a regional mini-parliament would suck powers up from traditional local
government - not take it down from London-based officials.
"This is a clear example of why Prescott's plans will take power
from local councils," said Skipton and Ripon MP Mr Curry, who has
already attacked the assemblies as feeble "milk and water" bodies.
He also condemned the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for formally
announcing the move the day after a Tory-sponsored Commons debate centring
on what the Conservatives believed were Mr Prescott's empty boasts of
real powers for his assemblies.
The controversial planning move was mentioned in Mr Prescott's speech
during that debate. But Mr Curry insisted that timing the formal announcement
and details for the day after demonstrated "absolute contempt for
Parliament".
As things stand, local planning authorities decide on applications in
accordance with their own strategies for how development in their areas
should proceed, in line with wider regional guidance.
And the Deputy Prime Minister, as the Minister ultimately responsible
for planning, can "call in" major proposals such as that for
a passenger airport at Finningley in South Yorkshire.
But under the assembly plans unveiled yesterday a Yorkshire mini-parliament
could - having set its own "spatial" strategy for Yorkshire
and the Humber - rule a specific development application out of order.
That would oblige a local planning authority, such as Leeds or Sheffield
city council, to turn it down.
The voters of Yorkshire will decide this October whether to create a
directly-elected assembly in a region-wide referendum. Three "hearings"
are now planned in Yorkshire during March and April, with one likely to
be in Sheffield, to see what powers people would wish the new body to
have.
But, mindful of Tory claims they will be expensive "talking shops",
Mr Raynsford signalled that more functions may be added to the proposed
assembly's brief.
"Their powers will continue to evolve and it is important that people
should get involved in the discussion about elected assemblies and the
powers they need," he said.
© Yorkshire Post
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