Regional policy in the West Midlands

Why it matters

The West Midlands Regional Assembly is currently drawing the policies that will decide and shape the region's future.

This includes what can and can't be built in the West Midlands for the next twenty years.

These policies will be contained in the regional masterplan known as the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS).

Key issues in the RSS that we are focussing on are:

• Unsustainable housing growth
  under the plan demands for more housing are not linked with areas of economic need such as Stoke-on-Trent where houses are being knocked down.
• Transport
  The plan projects growth of the Birmingham and Coventry Airports and widening of the region's motorways.
• Climate Change
  By 2020, flood damage to households in the region is forecast to be upto £360m. Without strong action in the RSS such events will become more frequent and costly.

The RSS review is taking place in three stages:

1. Phase 1: The Black Country ie the region north of Birmingham which covers the local authority areas of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
2. Phase 2: A range of issues including housing, employment, transport, waste and which towns and cities should be the focus for development.
3. Phase 3: A further range of issues such as critical rural services and regionally significant environmental issues.

West Midlands Friends of the Earth will be working with local groups across the region to monitor and respond to the plan.

Watch this space for updates on the progress of the RSS.

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 West Midlands >

†To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.

Discuss "Regional policy in the West Midlands " in our forum

Main image © iStockphoto.com