More planning control from Westminster

National governments often claim that they support local democracy.  However the evidence is otherwise. The recent announcement that Westminster will change the law to allow developers to build on brownfield land without planning permission is a case in point.  Taken at face value it means that any new development on land that has or has had a building on it will be allowed regardless of any local planning law or guidelines.  Effectively this means that there will be little or no protection against poorly conceived or designed development. This is another case of Westminster meddling in local affairs.  Just imagine what the Westminster politicians would say if Brussels said Britain must have the same planning law as Romania.