Friends of the Earth
Action Briefing Feb 2000/Mar 2000
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Birmingham Friends of the Earth Action Briefing Feb 2000/Mar 2000 |
Business as usual for 2000 from Birmingham City Council. On 5th January 2000 Birmingham City Council's Urban and Economic Regeneration Committee met to discuss the draft alterations and environmental appraisal of the City's Unitary Development Plan.
This was straight down to business even before the decorations had come down and Happy New Millennium for Birmingham's Green Belt was the order of the day!!! Not only did they remove land at Peddimore from the Green Belt but a further 200 acres on top of the 140 acres already designated as "developable" land.
This you may remember was subject to a planning inquiry in 1996-97 which we won in planning terms but John Prescott ignored the inspectors' advice and gave permission for the land to be developed as high tech industrial land. Three years later there is still no interest and we could have though that instead of taking yet more land out of the Green belt the City might see the folly of their ways and leave it well alone. But no, in the rabid drive for more Green Belt destruction they have allocated a huge area of Green Belt land for development in what could become a national focus of yesterday's planning.
No doubt the City along with other local authorities are eyeing up land along the line of the BNRR for development. This is what we have always feared would be the Trojan horse of the BNRR. A massive opportunity for developers not to think about the difficulties of revitalising our conurbation through urban renaissance, but ongoing destruction of agricultural land and car-based climate- threatening development.
We will engage in the consultation process fully and will ensure that our voices are heard but it will be important for all members of FOE and like-minded organisations to ensure that as much pressure as possible is placed on the City council. The public consultation will start sometime in March and will last for 12 weeks. There is every likelihood that due to the controversial nature of these proposals there will have to be a public inquiry. No doubt memories of 1996/97 and how John Prescott let us down will flood back. This really is showing Labour's true green credentials both at the city and at a national level.
If you are interested in making comments on this and other alterations please ring Friends of the Earth on (0121) 632 6909 for more information. Please do respond to the consultation process. The issue was covered in detail on 24th January 2000 in The Birmingham Post. Copies available from the above number.