Labour Proposes Bypassing Planning Process to Build More Prisons

Labour has said it will bypass the usual planning system in order to deliver two new prisons and deliver the 14,000 extra places which are required. On Sunday, Labour said on its website that a Labour government would “take control of the planning process by classifying prisons as being of ‘national importance’ on public safety grounds, so the approval decision is in ministers’ hands.” Currently only military bases, facilities run by MI5 and MI6, nuclear power stations, and some ports are excluded from the planning process on grounds of “national importance.” Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry was challenged about the policy on Times Radio by presenter Kate McCann, who asked her, “Will local communities get any say at all?”...