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To: David Cameron MP, the Prime Minister, Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Department of Communities and Local Government, all MPs of Parliament

Stop intrusive basement developments

Impose Nationwide moratorium on basement applications and change planning rules

Why is this important?

The threat to neighbourhoods and businesses suffering this plague of development show planning rules to be far too heavily weighted in favour of developers. Local residents and businesses, ambushed by ambitious plans, are now often locked out of any consultation process - their rights ignored.

Local councils, who they count on to represent their interests are increasingly unwilling to fund legal appeals against their own refusals of planning consent - so give in. Now, not only are homes and businesses put at risk but the quality of life of entire neighbourhoods is vandalised. Innocent property owners should not have to mortgage their livelihoods to fight off the life-style expansions imposed by their neighbours and absent developers. This is wrong and needs to change nationally and locally.

Legislation needs to be introduced to persuade or nudge a change in the current property abusing culture. The weight needs to shift in favour of those who need protection against the bullying financial demands of those who assume they can continue, and afford, to override and out-finance their innocent neighbours and local councils and, thereby, impose their encroachments on others.

Somehow, a wholesale review of this clash needs to address and reform this injustice, where local authorities decide in favour of developments, regardless, because they are financially restricted, particularly through expensive appeals processes, in affording the costs incurred, to protect their constituents who innocently assume such local authorities might act in their civil interests – many are now disillusioned.

As Air Studios fights for its survival, there are other fights against basement plans, including those of the owners of Admiral’s House to safeguard the heritage of Hampstead against plans by the owners of Grove Lodge and the residents of New End to stave off a 3 basement development by the owners of 29 New End. Countless others abound around the country. Something needs to be done against the tyranny of unsuitable basement developments.

How it will be delivered

I will email to all the people to whom the petition is addressed when the petition reaches 100,000 signatures.

Updates

2016-02-01 14:09:52 +0000

1,000 signatures reached

2016-01-14 22:09:07 +0000

500 signatures reached

2016-01-13 17:36:52 +0000

100 signatures reached

2016-01-13 17:11:11 +0000

50 signatures reached

2016-01-13 17:03:32 +0000

25 signatures reached

2016-01-13 16:37:06 +0000

10 signatures reached