We support more homes for those in need, especially genuinely affordable homes, but the right infrastructure needs to be put in place. Without it, everyone loses out. Recent analysis by CPRE reveals flaws in how rural councils collect and use developer funding (the Community Infrastructure Levy). Without reforms, trust in local planning will continue to erode. Read the CPRE report here. https://www.cpre.org.uk/opinions/rural-areas-missing-out-on-valuable-contributions-from-new-development/ (fb)

A recent case in Kent, where a development on supposedly protected National Landscape land was eventually allowed by a High Court Judgement, was bitterly disappointing but the case had one good outcome: it made clear that developers and planning authority decision-makers must demonstrate – ‘how [any] proposed developments will protect and improve our valued landscapes.’ Nevertheless, we at CPRE remain concerned that harm to our most valued landscapes, particularly in Cornwall, can too easily be disregarded or ineffectively “mitigated away.” (fb)