At the turn of the millennium government understood that the churches could deliver powerful and effective advocacy messages in favour of development objectives: on aid, trade and debt.
In particular, a new presumption in favour of development over community objections has been interpreted by Friends of the Earth and others as "a way for developers to build on [open land] by demonstrating the need for and benefits of their development".
All parties are in favour of development anywhere outside national parks if it is dressed up as economically advantageous, "affordable" or "green".
The absence of up-to-date local plans and policies can mean that local planning authorities have no choice but to fall back on the government's own presumption in favour of development as set out in its National Planning Policy framework.
Under the coalition's proposed presumption in favour of development, councils will be required to grant planning permission to any development where a local plan is "absent, silent, indeterminate or where relevant policies are out of date".
Eleanor Besley of sustainable transport group Sustrans said the government's claim that the framework indicated what sustainable should mean "in practice" left a self-reinforcing situation, where "the presumption in favour of sustainable development actually means a presumption in favour of development".
Concern about the biggest changes in the planning system for 60 years centres on a controversial presumption in favour of development which could be used to overrule community attempts to protect their land.
