A PETITION has been launched in the district to fight changes to planning laws which campaigners claim would gag residents.
Intended changes to planning rules were set out in the Government’s ‘Planning for the Future’ in 2020 but they were immediately branded a ‘Developer’s Charter’ by housing campaigners. The plans are due to return to Parliament after this year’s local elections.
Stratford Labour Party has launched a petition and called on Stratford District Council (SDC) to speak out against the plans.
Labour campaigner Lee Rhodes said: “We have been talking to residents in Stratford for weeks now and they agree that regardless of which political party you support, the planned changes are just plain wrong.
“We have found that residents agree with us that any law which removes the rights of residents to have a say on planning, effectively gagging them is plain wrong!
“The public agree that we can’t have a ‘developers charter’ which rides roughshod over local residents’ views. The local community knows best what is needed in terms of housing, and what would fit with the character of our beautiful and historic towns.”
People can sign the online ‘Planning law changes’ petition, which is also on SDC’s website, at http://bit.ly/sdclpetition
