Lobby group Business Voice West Midlands has praised the
decision of the main West Midlands councils to continue some
elements of regional planning despite the Government's decision to
abolish this.
It supports whole heartedly the determination to retain backing
for broad-based urban renewal despite Eric Pickles, Communities and
Local Government Secretary, wholesale rejection of all things
connected to the regional concept.
The stance was spelled out in a position statement by West
Midlands Planning & Transportation Sub-Committee representing
Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and
Solihull local authorities, along with integrated transport
authority Centro.
It stated: "Although it is the Secretary of State's intention to
abolish Regional Spatial Strategies as statutory documents, it does
not follow that all policies within them need to be abolished
too.
"Certain RSS policies, and particularly the Urban Renaissance
strategy, have served the Metropolitan Area well. Moreover, as it
is a long term approach, which seeks to reverse deep rooted adverse
economic, social and environmental trends, it follows that it needs
time to take effect."
Debbie Walsh, BVWM board member and Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors' regional head of policy and communications,
said: "BVWM has said all along there needs to be some element of
strategic regional thinking.
"We commend our councils for their attempt to ensure that much
of the work to date, which is backed by a sound evidence base, is
not thrown away. This very firm commitment to work together across
boundaries is surely in line with the Secretary of State's view
that Local Authorities should be finding ways of cooperating across
borders in an organic rather than top down, proscribed way. The
fact that it very much reflects previous regional working is
testament to stance that we have always maintained in relation to
the West Midlands being, by and large, a very naturally
inter-related and inter-dependant region geographically and
economically."
It is anticipated that legislation in the Localism Bill, set to
abolish RSSs, will take 12-18 months before it is fully enacted,
and, says the Sub-Committee, it is not at all clear whether there
will be any alternative statutory role for Local Enterprise
Partnerships.
The West Midlands councils have agreed to cooperate with the
changes as they are obliged to do but have seized the chance "to
provide clarity by reiterating support for key cross boundary
principles and policies" and "to demonstrate categorically to
partners and stakeholders that all authorities remain committed to
the Urban Renaissance principles".
In Birmingham growth is focussed within the Eastern Corridor;
the city centre; Longbridge; Aston, Newtown and Lozells; Greater
Icknield; Southern Gateway/Highgate; Bordesley Park; Stechford;
Shard End; Druids Heath; and Kings Norton.
In the Black Country Brierley Hill, Walsall, West Bromwich,
Wolverhampton and 16 regeneration corridors are to the fore.
Coventry concentrates on the city centre, Canley, Swanswell and
the Wood End, and Henley Green.
A firm promise is given that the Meriden Gap will be maintained
and economic assets such as Birmingham Airport and the National
Exhibition Centre will be sustained and further developed - there
is unanimous support for the airport runway extension along with
improved access to both.
The position statement goes on: "Strategic adjustments to Green
Belt boundaries are not supported as these are considered to
encourage selective out migration of population from urban areas
and run counter to regeneration objectives.
"Regeneration-led growth and investment is focussed on bringing
forward previously developed land and making the best use of
existing infrastructure and resources."
Key to this were the Central Technology Belt (Birmingham city
centre to Worcestershire A38 Corridor); Coventry, Solihull and
Warwickshire; and Wolverhampton to Telford.
Highlighting the likes of Ansty, Birmingham Business Park,
Blythe Valley Park, Hilton Cross, Wolverhampton Business Park, i54
and Longbridge, it noted: "Regional Investment Sites are large,
high quality sites with good access to the strategic highway
network and have been identified to support growth and
diversification of the local economy.
"Their benefits in terms of job creation transgress local
authority boundaries. Their retention, implementation and
appropriate expansion is supported as is the identification of
further sites to meet identified shortfalls."
A Regional Logistics Site would support the economic growth and
diversification of the Black Country.
The strategic centres of Birmingham, Brierley Hill, Coventry,
Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Walsall, West Bromwich and
Wolverhampton should be the focus for major new retail development
and large scale leisure and office schemes, with improved
accessibility to these centres a priority.