DR MICHAEL HOWARTH, Belle Hill, Kingsbridge:

The new draft National Planning Policy Framework aims to encourage economic growth and to increase the supply of housing.

Kingsbridge has been let down by the present planning system in two respects.

Firstly, the system has failed to identify adequate employment land to meet the needs of successful and expanding businesses in the town.

Secondly, it has failed to prioritise the use of so-called 'brownfield' land and instead houses are to be built on new greenfield sites on the edge of town adjacent to Trebblepark and on West Alvington Hill.

The question is whether the proposed new planning framework will make matters better or worse.

The need to encourage business growth is a strong theme in new framework and in this regard it is to be welcomed. Inspectors will presumably be inclined to give greater weight to the delivery of adequate employment land.

The recent examination of Kingsbridge's employment land proposals by inspectors was a farce, as it was clearly biased in favour of the objectors. The objectors were given free reign to voice their concerns, while the proponents of the proposals were afforded no such opportunity. It was a denial of natural justice, apart from anything else. This needs to change.

The plans to build new houses on greenfield sites have caused a great deal of concern in the town.

Developers prefer greenfield sites because they are easier and more profitable to develop.

Councils connive with this because they are able to demand a higher proportion of affordable housing and other planning gains.

The alternative in Kingsbridge was to give priority to the development of the run-down Lower Union Road area close to the centre of the town. Studies commissioned by the town council have shown that the redevelopment of Lower Union Road could accommodate 50 new homes without any loss of employment space.

The problem is that Lower Union Road would be expensive to redevelop because of some contamination issues which would need to be addressed first, and difficult to achieve because of multiple ownership of the site.

However, is it sustainable – to use the current jargon – to build houses in the countryside and leave a run down area in the centre of the town?

Absolutely not, because the concept of sustainability is that we leave the place in better shape for the next generation, or at least not worse, than is presently the case.

It is nothing other than short-termism to develop greenfield sites while there are still brownfield sites available.

The new planning framework is deficient because it removes any obligation to build on brownfield sites.

In the terminology of the new National Planning Policy Framework, there should be a presumption against development in the countryside until all available brownfield sites have been used.