Burnham-On-Sea MP Ashley Fox has warned that the Government’s proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill risks centralising power and weakening local accountability, to the detriment of rural communities like those in Somerset.
Speaking in Parliament this week, Ashley Fox acknowledged the importance of building new homes and delivering critical infrastructure, but he expressed concern that the Bill shifts decision-making away from elected representatives and local residents.
The MP claims the legislation gives the Secretary of State the power to bypass local consent on major projects and transfers planning authority from councillors to unelected officers which he says undermines public trust and removes the ability of communities to shape developments that directly affect them.
“Planning committees are the place where elected officials can reflect local concerns and represent their communities in decision-making,” he said. “By shifting more power to unelected officers, we risk alienating the public and further eroding trust in local democracy.”
Ashley Fox also raised his concerns about unequal housing targets, highlighting that rural areas like Somerset are being asked to take on a disproportionate share of new development. He pointed out that Somerset’s housing target has increased by 41%, while Bristol’s has been reduced by 11%.
The Burnham-On-Sea MP criticised proposals that would allow developers to offset environmental harm through a central fund rather than through site-specific assessments—particularly problematic in areas like the Somerset Levels, where small changes can have wide-reaching effects.
He also questioned expanded compulsory purchase powers that could affect agricultural land and local green spaces, warning of broader consequences for the farming community.
“The government has already done great damage to the farming community in Somerset with their family farm tax and the closure without notice of the sustainable farming incentive,” he said. “This proposal seems like another government scheme to impoverish our farmers.”
Ashley Fox said he would seek to improve the Bill before it progresses further.
