The Conservative Government did or did not have Wyre Forest in mind when it declared that certain planning requirements would be ended.

I consider, in certain circumstances, it could be OK to help certain applications through planning if it radically helped economic development and there had been no serious opposition in pre-report consultation.

But there is a real difference between that and lifting planning requirements almost completely to allow “hostile” applications to gain full planning permission without going through the process. For instance, where applications for fracking are concerned.

This fracking process could change the nature of an environment and community and yet not be subject to local communities supporting the application. This is too much power to give away. The local planning committee should be sacrosanct and Local Plans abided by.

Wyre Forest planning and Worcestershire County Council planning services and committees run very well. To introduce a “short cut system” could undermine the whole planning process.

I would hate to think that big companies could almost buy their way into planning, house building or economic development. Due process is the product of decades of planning law, custom and practice.

I chaired the planning committee at County Hall when we threw out the proposed incinerator for the Sugar Beet site, now Silverwood’s housing and leisure centre area.

If new laws had then been in place, we would have an incinerator instead of a leisure centre.

We also defeated an appeal by the incinerator company. I still have an application for action against this 2000 proposal with the European Parliament.

We need to look at all aspects of planning applications, including terms and conditions, health and safety and finance.

To give away any public rights is not something we should permit.

Nigel Knowles - Councillor for Franche &Habberley North Leader of the Labour Group (in a personal capacity) Former Planning Chairman of Worcestershire County Council, Wyre Forest District Council and Bewdley Town Council