The Regional Spatial Strategy is drafted by the West Midlands Regional Assembly (the Regional Planning Body) and takes into account the views of a wide range of local stakeholders. Government Office for the West Midlands then scrutinises the strategy on behalf of the Secretary of State and organises a public examination to test the soundness of the document. Government Office for the West Midlands then publishes the proposed changes for further consultation. When these comments have been considered we publish the final Regional Spatial Strategy on behalf of the Secretary of State.
The Regional Spatial Strategy for the West Midlands (formerly known as Regional Planning Guidance 11) was published in June 2004. The Strategy seeks to promote the creation and development of sustainable communities across the region and has identified four key strands to make the West Midlands a better place for all:
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Urban Renaissance – promoting the major urban areas as vital, attractive places to live, work and invest.
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Rural Renaissance – regenerating the countryside by addressing low incomes and skills, and access to services and jobs.
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Diversifying and modernising the region’s economy – linking growth to meeting needs and reducing social exclusion.
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Modernising transport infrastructure - supporting the sustainable development of the Region.
In addition to influencing the development and use of land in the region, the RSS also informs the development of other strategies and programmes across the public sector such as health, education and crime reduction.
A full copy of the RSS can be accessed via the link below. Further information can be obtained from contacting the Regional Spatial Strategy Team here at GOWM - details also shown below.
Partial Revisions of the Regional Spatial Strategy
When the West Midlands RSS was published in June 2004, a number of further areas of work were identified. The West Midlands Regional Assembly, in partnership with regional stakeholders, is dealing with these further areas of work in three partial and phased revisions:-
Phase 1 - The Black Country
This is a sub-regional revision covering the Black Country and has reached the publication stage. Following the Examination in Public held in January 2007, the Secretary of State published and consulted on her Proposed Changes. This ended on 9th November 2007. The final RSS incorporating the Phase 1 revision was published 15th January 2008 and can be accessed via the link below.
See links below for further information and documents relating to the Phase 1 Revision.
Phase 2 Revision
The second phase of partial revisions to the RSS was launched in November 2005 and covers housing issues, employment, retail and centres, waste and certain elements of transport policy.
Development of Options for the West Midlands RSS in response to the initial NHPAU report - Consultants Appointed 7/4/08
In light of the Government’s agenda to increase house building across the country, Baroness Andrews expressed concern about the housing proposals put forward by the Phase Two Revision. In view of this, the Minister has asked the Government Office for the West Midlands to commission further work to look at options which could deliver higher housing numbers for consideration at Examination in Public.
Following a successful tender process, Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners were appointed to undertake the Study, which has now been completed.
Click here to see details of the study.
The first regional seminar was held on Tuesday 20th May 2008 at the Birmingham and Midland Institute.
A second event was held at the MacDonald Burlington Hotel on Tuesday 8th July where the developing options were presented by NLP.
The presentations from the 20/5 and 8/7 events can be accessed via the link below.
A final regional event has been arranged for Thursday 9th October 2008 and will be held at the BMI - Birmingham Midlands Institute. Invitations to the event have been sent out via email. If you have not heard from us please email the RSS team by 25th September, details will be issued. However we may have to limit places to 1 delegate per organisation depending on demand.
Implications for Timetable (Revised 16/5/08)
We want to give regional partners the opportunity not only to engage with the study, but also to see its findings early enough to enable them to make their own contributions to the Examination. The West Midlands Regional Assembly have extended the consultation beyond the provisional date of 30th June 2008 (as set out in correspondence from WMRA on 3rd March 2008) to allow consultees an opportunity to comment on the study alongside the Phase 2 Revision. The consultation period will now end on 8th December 2008. We can also confirm that the Examination in Public into the Phase 2 Revision will now take place in 2009.
We will provide a further update in due course. In the meantime, if you have any further queries please contact the RSS Team (contact details provided below).
Formal Submission
The Phase 2 draft revision was formally submitted to the Secretary of State on 21st December 2007. Baroness Andrews, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, wrote (7th January 2008) to Councillor Rex Roberts, Chair of the Regional Planning Partnership for the West Midlands Regional Assembly, regarding the formal submission of the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy Phase 2. This letter advised that she had asked the Government Office for the West Midlands (GOWM) to commission some further work looking at options which could deliver higher housing numbers. The aim will be to provide the Examination Panel with options that could deliver housing numbers which will start to impact on affordability, whilst maintaining as many of the principles of the Spatial Strategy as possible. A copy of this letter can be seen below.
The "testing" of the draft RSS and these further options will be handled by an independent panel, consisting of a Panel Chair and a Panel Inspector. Working for the panel are the Panel Secretary and the Panel Assistant. Contact details for the Panel Secretary are provided below.
How to obtain a copy of the West Midlands RSS Phase 2 draft revisions
Documents have been made available for public inspection on the Regional Assembly's website link below, at the Regional Assembly's offices and at principal local authorities and central libraries across the region.
For further information please contact the West Midlands Regional Assembly on 0121 245 0200 or by e-mail. E-mail address at: info@wmra.gov.uk
How to make representations on the Plan
Responses should be made on the official response form which can be down loaded from the link below. To make representations to support, oppose or comment on the revisions to the Plan, please send your form by post or e-mail to be received by 8th December 2008 to:
The Panel Secretary, c/o Government Office for the West Midlands, 5 St Philip's Place, Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2PW. E-mail address at: wm.panelsecretary@gowm.gsi.gov.uk
How to make representations on Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners (NLP) RSS Phase 2 study
Any responses making representations to support, appose or comment on the assembly phase 2 revision draft, need to be with the Panel Secretary by either post or email by the 8th December 2008. The Panel would find it helpful to distinguish between matters; therefore, if your response includes any comments on the NLP study these should be made on a separate piece of paper.
Response Form for Phase 2 Consultation
See link below for a copy of the response form.
Alternatively, to make an online response (your response will be sent directly to the Panel Secretary) please visit the WMRA website link below and follow the links to the WMRSS Phase Two Revision.
The process which guides the Revision of the RSS is set out in Planning Policy Statement 11 'Regional Spatial Strategies', which can be found on the website of the Department for Communities and Local Government, see below for link.
Phase 3 Revision
The Phase 3 revision was launched on 27th November 2007. It covers a range of issues including critical rural services, gypsies, travellers and travelling showpeople, culture, sport and tourism, environmental issues including flooding and Green Belt and minerals. Further information on this Phase can be obtained via the WMRA website link below.
