Britain presses EU on new land policies

08 June 1998

Britain presses EU on new land policies

BRITAIN will press European Union (EU) ministers today to agree to new proposals to co-ordinate planning policies.

The proposals aim to harmonise planning policies between countries as the EU moves even closer towards its ideal of an economic and political union.

Richard Caborn, UK planning minister, will present a draft of the European Spatial Development Perspective to EU regional policy ministers, meeting in Glasgow.

This proposes common approaches to housing, transport, urban renewal, rural issues, economic development, water supply and telecommunications.

The draft supports diversification of struggling rural economies. In many cases this could be by joining forces with local towns, it suggests.

• Financial Times 08/08/98 page 3