According to the UK Green Party website the Green Party will try to achieve the following if they gain power at the 2010 general election:
CY530 Partly as a result of speculation, the price of land has risen way above what can be justified by its normal earning capacity, combined with the rising costs of conventional farming and lower guaranteed prices farmers have been compelled to maximise production from every available piece of land. In consequence our inheritance of irreplaceable features like hedges and woods, which have depressed land values, have been destroyed. We will introduce a Land Value Taxation (see ‘Land’ section), based on land values, which will automatically compensate for the economic disadvantage of having to conserve wildlife habitats, archaeological sites and other landscape features.
Countryside Planning
CY540 We would ensure that planning for widespread multiple use of the countryside would be a major and integral part of the new Unitary Development Plans prepared by Local Authorities. Advice would be provided by the government’s statutory authority on conservation and full democratic consultation undertaken. Ecological criteria will be given full weight in all planning decisions.
CY541 We accept the particular characteristics and difficulties of the ‘Less Favoured Areas’ – we would however review the operation of the LFA Directive of the EEC in line with our general policy principles.
CY542 Planning controls will be strengthened and extended to major land-use changes (in particular, all farm buildings, new and improvement works by drainage bodies and water authorities, afforestation, and all clearances of ancient woodland and semi-natural woodland). Destruction of ancient woodland, in existence before 1600, would be prohibited.
CY543 The Green Party will introduce legislation to halt and reverse the spread of light pollution in the countryside in order to protect the heritage of the dark night sky and to minimise disturbance to wildlife from artificial light. There will be a presumption against new lighting in the countryside which will be incorporated into the Development Plans of planning authorities.
Improved lighting design and the use of more efficient lighting will be required for new developments or replacement of existing lighting. Energy conservation, including the removal of unnecessary lighting, will be promoted.
I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on UK Green Party’s Countryside Land Tenure and Planning policies in the comments below?