Regional policy in the South East

The Government is currently finalising the South East Plan which was first drafted by the Regional Assembly.  This contains a range of policies which will shape the region's future.  Key issues that we are focussing on are:

• Greenhouse gas targets. We ensured that emissions reduction targets were set in early drafts of the plan to ensure the region plays its part in meeting the UK's commitments to reduce emissions.
  
• Housing. We argued against the proposed 662,500 new homes that the government wants to see built in the region by 2026 on the grounds of unacceptable environmental impacts.
  
• Consumption. We successfully lobbied for the inclusion of a target to reduce the region's ecological footprint which will act as an incentive to make better use of global resources.
  
• Transport. We have pushed for an emphasis on managing and reducing traffic and we want to see a move away from new road building which has high financial and environmental costs.
  
• Building Standards.  All new buildings in the region should be built to the highest environmental standards to ensure that impacts are minimised.

The final version of the Plan is expected in 2009.  The South East Forum for Sustainability posts updates on this issue or you can find out more from the Government Office for the South East.

Further Information

Briefings:

• Tackling climate change in the English regions (PDF† - 361 KB).
• RSS a blueprint for justice and sustainable development in the English regions (PDF† - 458 KB).
• Tackling climate change through planning: the government's objectives (PDF† - 466 KB)

Next: More issues in the South East >

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