The government's proposals to improve the planning system will actually undermine it, rural campaigners have warned.

Speaking on Tuesday ahead of the report stage of the Planning Bill, the Campaign to Protect Rural England argued that the legislation risks centralising the decision-making process unless amendments made in the Lords are accepted.

Government Response: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

"The government is committed to delivering thriving, sustainable communities across the country, in urban and rural areas. New planning policies set out in PPS1 and PPS7 promote the importance of the right development in the right place at the right time in the countryside. We will not preserve the countryside in aspic, but we will equally ensure that any development that takes place is to provide homes and jobs for rural communities."

Forum Response: Country Land and Business Association

A spokesperson for the Country Land and Business Association told ePolitix.com: "Whilst we regret that counties will have a reduced role in the new planning framework, we welcome the concessions that government have agreed to ensure they retain a statutory role.

"We profoundly disagree that the Bill overall is any form of developer's charter: indeed, our concerns, shared with many other representative organisations, have been on the effects of changes on the mechanisms of development control.

"We have supported amendments to retain existing development control procedures at least until the system can be seen to be working better. There is no advantage to introducing a statement of development principles to replace outline planning consents, if the effect in practice is simply to reduce the funding that developers can access.

"Likewise, multiple planning applications have arisen in response to poor decision making processes applied by local planning authorities, not as an abuse.

"We share the concerns expressed in debate that offering a cash alternative to legal planning agreements may reduce the amount of affordable housing provision, and have an adverse effect on sustainable development.

"CLA has long argued that the current framework is not broken, but could do with an overhaul, and better resourcing in order to function more efficiently.

"We support the government in rejecting any form of third party right of appeal. The public voice is properly to be heard much earlier in the planning process, through wider consultation.

"We have urged the government to look again at the compulsory purchase provisions, which we see as undermining the traditional protection afforded people's homes and private property.

"And we broadly welcome the publication of the ODPM's new draft planning guidance, PPS1, which we see as demonstrating a much better balance between the need for jobs and the need for conservation in rural areas."