Pledges made by ministers to 'put communities in control' have been swept away by the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), according to the national charity representing civic societies across England.
Civic Voice argues in a document outlining its "key issues" in relation to the NPPF that existing guidance stating that the views of local communities should be heard in developing planning policies is "set to be lost and support for local listing of buildings and structures to be dropped, denying a voice for the very people who know their area best".
The document said that the NPPF is also "weak in valuing the community view at the very earliest stages of preparing plans and drawing up development proposals".
The charity has also called for the removal of any bias in planning policy towards economic growth.
"The default answer to development is to be yes and councils should give permission wherever possible", the document said.
"Even the policies in local and neighbourhood plans are to be drawn up to do ‘everything it can to support sustainable economic growth’. Where there isn’t a plan or there are no relevant policies there is a free-for-all and local authorities are told simply to ‘grant permission’".
The document concluded: "This isn’t fair and local communities will increasingly challenge the results and lose faith in the system."
It also said that the NPPF lacks a "strong geographical rationale" setting out the preferred locations for development.
"We fear the sprawling nature of new building that will result will add deadweight costs to the economy as the costs to the public and private sector and to communities from additional infrastructure and increased travel costs mount up", the document said.
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