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		MEP calls for full assessment of Milton Keynes and South Midlands growth plans Wednesday, 24 March 2004 Conservative MEP Roger Helmer has written to the Government expressing his concerns at the “speedy consultation arrangements for the plans and the lack of serious environmental impact assessment that is envisaged.” The Milton Keynes and South Midlands growth plans, which are being driven by John Prescott and his Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, will have a major impact on Northamptonshire. The Government wants to increase the number of houses by 167,000 by 2031, which would increase the population by 50%. The Government has refused to provide any guarantees that requisite additional infrastructure such as new roads, hospitals and policing will be provided. The forthcoming European Directive 2001/42/EC calls for all such proposals to be subject to a full scale environmental impact assessment, but the Government hopes to avoid such an assessment arguing that the Milton Keynes and South Midlands plans have already started and that the Directive only comes into effect from July 2004. Having been alerted to the widespread concern of local people over this issue by the Northamptonshire-based STOP campaign, Roger Helmer has recognised the urgency of the situation and has been keen to press the Government to act without delay. In his letter to Planning Minister Lord Rooker, Roger Helmer has stated: "Given the increasing importance attached to environmental issues by citizens of all member states, and in order to strengthen public confidence in the Milton Keynes and South Midlands proposals, I believe the UK Government should voluntarily undertake a strategic environmental assessment of the plans even if not legislatively obliged to do so. It would be wholly wrong if the Government were to unnecessarily speed along consultation on this extremely important housing, land and environmental strategy to avoid compliance with the legislation it signed up to less than three years ago. The spirit of this Directive is to provide for a high level of environmental protection and to integrate environmental considerations into programmes to promote sustainable development. An environmental assessment would also significantly contribute to public confidence in these large-scale planning proposals."