Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

I shall speak to Clause 18 stand part, but I support what the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, said on the other amendments in this group. Clause 18 adds confusion. It allows local authorities to have variations, and being a localist I agree with that, but it contradicts some of what we have been talking about. I hope that the Government will think again on this. The system needs to be fairly flexible. If the Government want to give guidance and include all these matters in the Bill, the system must be flexible. As we have said, there are many different types of petitions. For example, some may be generated by people wanting to change the position of a level crossing, which may not necessarily coincide with the local authority’s point of view, but it is something on which it could take advice and operate. As the noble Lord, Lord Greaves said, some may be generated by what the council is doing at that moment. The whole issue needs rethinking, and that is why we have tabled the Question whether Clause 18 should stand part of the Bill.