Student groups flag Cabinet exception in planning-appeals reform

A coalition of 25 student organisations welcomed plans to suspend development works automatically when qualifying appeals are filed. They said the change addresses cases where construction is completed before legal challenges finish, making successful appeals ineffective. However, the groups identified a proposed exception allowing Cabinet, at its discretion, to permit specific projects to continue. They warned against last-minute changes benefiting powerful interests and called the suspension principle a minimum requirement of a fair system. The public consultation on the bill closed that day.