Economic growth and the Nimby tendency  

There is something of the Nimby in all of us. As an MP I am very conscious that in many cases I am expected to be chief Nimby, to come to the aid of those who want to save a view, protect a greenfield, avoid the eorision of green gaps and Green Belts. All the time we have a system of planning that requires a national framework and a local plan it will fall to elected and unelected officials to come to a judgement about where things can be built and how much can be built. It requires us all to avoid ducking the quesiton of where building can take place, if we take the Nimby route in many popular places. This is becoming a big issue in many areas like Wokingham, now that more power is being transferred to Councils for local decisions. Wokingham has been one of the fastest growing parts of the country in the last twenty years, with large new housing developments...