The UN treaty that’s been incentivising Britain’s blockers since 1998
Leaving the Aarhus Convention would make it easier to build homes, roads, reservoirs, railways and companies, writes Tom Willerton-Gartside.
The Aarhus Convention, a United Nations treaty adopted in 1998, has been enabling Britain's construction blockers since its implementation. This treaty often forces taxpayers to fund legal costs for individuals and organizations attempting to block projects, making it far cheaper for blockers to take infrastructure projects to judicial review even without substantial grounds.
The British people have experienced stagnating GDP per capita growth, with London now ranked 23rd in global IPO rankings, behind countries like Spain and Turkey. Nearly 1,900 British businesses go bust each month, with young people facing record unemployment and rolling blackouts and water shortages affecting households. Prime Minister Burnham has proposed leaving the Aarhus Convention, which he believes would facilitate easier construction of homes, roads, reservoirs, railways, and companies while making it more challenging for activists to delay projects.
This could help address Britain's growth emergency by reducing delays, uncertainties, and costs associated with legal challenges, ultimately improving infrastructure and living standards for all citizens.
Written by urgent.news from City AM's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
