New Regional Structures
The Government is introducing new regional structures in April 2010 which would significantly change the way the West Midlands region is run.
These would include:
- The introduction of a Single Integrated Regional Strategy to replace the current Regional Spatial Strategy and Regional Economic Strategy, and its specifically business led approach
- The abolition of the Regional Assembly and planning powers going to Advantage West Midlands and a Forum of Local Authority Leaders.
- The creation of a Joint Strategy and Investment Board to oversee planning and policy issues for the region which wider environmental and social stakeholder involvement.
- The creation of six relatively small Panels on specific topics, including Transport, Housing Planning and Environment to advise the Board.
- The creation of Advisory Groups to develop strategy and report to the panels.
With its more limited economic development brief, Advantage West Midlands does not have the same track record in engaging CPRE and other partners in the decision making process as the Assembly. The new national guidance give weight to participation from external stakeholders but it is left to regions to determine how this is done.
While we welcome the fact that elected politicians will have a key role in making decisions regionally, we are seeking to ensure the fullest participation in the development of key regional policies from other stakeholders, including ourselves and will be anxious to ensure we have access to all levels of decision making.
And while we agree there is a case for bringing together the two core regional strategies we believe it is important that environmental and social issues are still given adequate weight. It is essential that CPRE and other interested parties are fully engaged in this process, not just as external consultees, and that the detailed policies are tested at a Public Examination.
A Project Plan for the Strategy is expected after April 2010 and we will want to take a strong role in shaping that. We will seek to ensure we maximizes our influence by working closely with partners in WMRSF and other non-local authority stakeholders.
As well as seeking to maximize our own influence we will be supporting strong voluntary sector and environmental forums to ensure wider participation. This will need both political will and funding from the key players in the new regime.
The Conservative Party is committed to more significant changes to the regional architecture including the abolition of regional strategies and the removal of the regional tier of planning. Their national proposals are set out in their Policy Document on Planning and are based on greater localisation. While we support the need for local communities to be engaged in planning we are concerned that their recommendations would remove the strategic planning level.
WMRSF documents
on SNR:
Regional
Economy Dec08
Contribution of Environmental Non-Governmental
Organisations Dec08
Integrated Regional Strategy Dec08
Sub National Review Dec08
03.03.10
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