Labour takes the heat over out-of-town shopping

A leading countryside group attacked Labour after its front- bench spokesman, Keith Vaz, said the party was more in favour of out-of- town shopping developments than the Government. The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) criticised a speech by Mr Vaz at a planning conference in Canary Wharf, east London, saying its tone was "disturbing". He told planners, politicians and developers that out-of-town supermarkets were innovative, exciting and ``the best in the world"; Whitehall should not stand in the way of "this retail revolution''. Neil Sinden, of the CPRE, promised the council would fight ``tooth and nail'' any attempt by a Labour government to relax restrictions on new out-of-town retail developments.

Nicholas Schoon