Minister's U-turn is victory for North-East (From The Northern Echo)

Minister's U-turn is victory for North-East

2:02am Thursday 7th February 2008 in Campaigns By Mark Tallentire

A PLANNING straitjacket that threatened to stifle the North-East for a generation was removed yesterday when the Government backtracked on plans to impose crippling limits on the region's ambitions for housing, transport and jobs.

Faced with opposition from the North-East's MPs, business leaders and councillors, Local Government and Communities Minister Hazel Blears announced key concessions in the revised Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS).

The planning blueprint, which will govern the region's development for the next 13 years, threatened to halt several flagship job creation projects in their tracks.

Last year, The Northern Echo joined forces with the North-East Chamber of Commerce to launch the Shaping the Future campaign, demanding urgent changes to the legally-binding document.

Yesterday, the Government published its revised proposals, which include:

* Key projects to make room for new businesses - and thousands of jobs - at Faverdale, in Darlington, and Heighington Lane, in Newton Aycliffe, which were deleted from the previous draft, have been reinstated

* The number of extra houses that can be built in the region until 2021 has been increased from 112,000 to 128,860

* Netpark, the North-East's flagship science park, in Sedgefield, County Durham, which was to be limited to 13 hectares, can grow to 25 hectares

* Having backtracked from supporting plans to build a deep-sea container terminal at Teesport, the Government has reinstated its backing.

Politicians and business leaders across the region praised The Northern Echo for demanding the Government listen.

Roberta Blackman-Woods, the MP for Durham City, said: "I would like to congratulate The Northern Echo for their excellent campaign in galvanising local efforts to challenge the previous version of the RSS and, therefore, get much needed improvements for the region in this current document."

James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North-East Chamber of Commerce (NECC), said: "NECC and its members are hugely ambitious for this region and The Northern Echo has fought vociferously in support of that ambition."