The RSS, which is prepared by the West Midlands Regional Assembly (WMRA), as Regional Planning Body, is currently under review. The review is being undertaken in three phases.
Phase 1 covered the Black Country and is now complete with the Secretary of State's approval expected in January 2008.
The Phase 2 review was launched in November 2006. The Spatial Options set out a wide range of questions and choices relating to the development of the Region up to 2021 and beyond. Answers to these questions will go a long way to deciding what sort of West Midlands we will have in twenty year's time. The consultation took place from 8th January 2007 until 5th March 2007.
Warwickshire County Council's response to the consultation was approved by members at a cabinet meeting on 22nd February 2007. Please use the link below to find out more.
http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/corporate/committe.nsf/WPWCC?OpenView&Start=1&Count=30&Collapse=3.3#3.3
Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire, as a sub-region, also responded to the consultation.
Sub-regional Response
The Phase 2 Revision Draft has now been submitted to the Secretary of State with consultation commencing 7th January 2008. However the consultation period has been extended to 8th December 2008 by the Assembly, following a study, commissioned by Government Office of the West Midlands (GOWM), into options for delivering housing numbers. The study has been carried out by planning consultants, Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners, with the final report being published on 7th October. GOWM will make the study available as additional evidence for consultees to consider when making responses on the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy Phase Two Revision Draft. The study is available via the GOWM website.
A consultation response has been prepared which was presented to Cabinet on 24th April 2008. A further report is to be considered by Cabinet on the 11th October 2008. A copy of this report will be available in due course.
Phase 3 was launched in November 2007 with spatial Options expected in winter 2008/09. Subsequently a Section 4(4) brief has been issued which requires our advice to be submitted to the WMRA. This was submitted by the 25th July 2008. The WMRA will be undertaking consultation on the options in June 2009 so as to avoid a clash with the Phase 2 examination in public which is expected to commence in April 2009.
More information can be found on the West Midland Regional Assembly webpage below.
http://www.wmra.gov.uk/page.asp?id=360
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