Action Briefing Jun 2003 - Jul 2003
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

West Midlands News

Walsall on the UDP

Walsall Friends of the Earth are busy at the Walsall Unitary Development Plan (UDP) Public Inquiry.

Big issues include car parking standards where the Council continues to over-provide car parking (to the tune of at least two spaces per house) and ignore Government guidance that standards should be maximum not minimum; housing density; and reopening the Walsall-Stourbridge rail line but not letting Midland Metro exclude heavy rail passenger services and stopping more out of town shopping on the Ring Road.

We've already persuaded the Secretary of State not to approve Tesco's plans to move out of the town centre to the Ring Road. Now we want to ensure the same site is not designated for retail at all but for much-needed urban housing. For more details contact Gerald Kells on 01922 636601.

Chris Crean