Multi Modal Study/Regional Planning Guidance
The draft deposit of the Regional Planning Guidance was published on 8th November.
Copies from David Littlewood, Government Office: 0121 212 5472.
This sets out the blueprint for the region for the next twenty years. Its widened
brief includes not only planning and housing but transport, waste, energy, minerals
planning, flooding and a whole host of strategic issues for the region. A meeting
is being held on 8th December to discuss how WMFOE will respond to the RPG.
More info from Chris on 0121 643 9117.
On the following day, as if to illustrate document hierarchy, the first regional
Multi Modal Study was produced. This looks at the West Midlands conurbation
and whilst there are some extremely welcome recommendations, road building
hijacks the agenda and the money. Proposals to widen the M42 to 10 lanes and
the re-emergence of the Western Orbital Motorway top the charts and while public
education, improving the local environment, investment in public transport, and
questioning the need to travel are in there, they are not being shouted from
the rooftops as the best ways to deal with our continuing transport nightmare.
The other MMSs including Shrewsbury to Chester and West Mids to Manchester will
report in the new year.
Chris Crean