Planning Applications

ASHRA's Response - Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development

“Sustainable Development” is a term that most people don’t understand. It is bandied around by builders in the hope of giving their destruction of our countryside, some sort of acceptability and legitimacy, and making the listener think they are all for the “Green” environment. In fact the Governments definition of Sustainable Development, according to the NPPF, is “Sustainable means ensuring that better lives for ourselves, don’t mean worse lives for future generations”, and “Development means growth”. They clarify this by saying “Sustainable Development is about positive growth – making economic, environmental and social progress for this and future generations”. They say that it must improve the places in which we live our lives. The Government also state in the NPPF that planning should be a collective enterprise, including people and communities, and they are, by the use of the NPPF “allowing people and communities back into planning”.

The NPPF goes on to state that pursuing sustainable development involves seeking positive improvements in the natural environment as well as in peoples’ quality of life. Sustainable Development should make it easier for jobs to be created in the area, achieve gains for nature, and improve conditions in which people live.

We would argue that taking away the only large piece of natural space left in the area, and the building of 400 houses on it, is not going to improve the lives of the people of Ash and Tongham, or visitors to the area, nor will it improve the lives of future generations. We also argue that this development does not make economic, environmental or social progress. It will in no way improve the economy of the area and it will certainly damage the environment.

In addition the NPPF goes on to say that existing open space should not be built on unless the loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and quality in a suitable location. 99.9% of the residents of Ash and Tongham feel that losing a vast area of natural open space, including all of the wildlife and trees, the joining of these villages, and the increased congestion and flooding, in exchange for a small area with cycle tracks is not a fair exchange.