Government faces court action over 'illegal' planning policy

Exclusive: Friends of the Earth says revised national planning policy makes it 'virtually impossible' for councils to refuse fracking schemesThe government is facing a legal challenge over its new planning policy, which campaigners say was illegally adopted because the government failed to assess its environmental impact.The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in July, informs local policies across England, from planning permission to town and country planning and land use. It has significant weight in development decisions, from the amount and location of built development to the way environmental impacts are assessed, and also deals with policies concerning air pollution, energy generation, water management and biodiversity. Continue reading...