Concern raised over Government threat to high street shops  

MP Graham Stuart,  has criticised the Government's proposed changes to planning rules, which will reduce the powers of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council to control out-of-town retail development.  A new report from a cross-party House of Commons Committee has warned the Government's proposed changes to planning rules on retail development will result in ‘many more out-of-town superstores’. This comes as a separate nationwide survey by the British Retail Consortium  found one in 10 of all town centre shops are now vacant.  The Government's changes come in the form of new national planning rules on retail development. East Riding Council will have to observe the rules when assessing planning applications. The new regime will scrap the ‘needs test', which requires developers to prove the ‘need' for additional out-of-town development. The...