OUT OF TOWN CENTRE PLANNING

That this House is concerned by recent reports that the Competition Commission has suggested that planning rules for new supermarket developments should be further weakened, to allow more stores to be built out of town centre areas; believes that the effect of such a change would increase even further the big supermarkets' dominance in retail shopping in UK communities and curtail vital independent outlets of shopping, such as corner shops and street markets; and calls on the Government to reject any moves in this direction including the removal of the planning needs test, but instead to introduce a stronger policy with a test for diversity to ensure that planning policy will help to create greener patterns of development and real choice for consumers in their communities.