Comment

Representation ID: 19290

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

Introduction
Comment: The implicit acknowledgment given in the Black Country Centres introduction and policies regarding changes to retail and the significance this has for the future of these centres should be made explicit. Ongoing reductions in the number of occupied retail and office spaces provides the opportunity - as implied in the BCP - to strategically plan vibrant and desirable leisure and residential centres which support the growth of the Black Country economy. This section of the BCP should more strongly set the scene for the review of the four Strategic Centres Area Action Plans with an ambitious vision for this future.

Comment: The reimagining of Strategic Centres as desirable leisure and residential centres will reduce pressure for these land uses elsewhere. To fully realise this ambitious vision, however, significant planning and investment must be given to green and blue infrastructure. The value of well-planned green and blue infrastructure with regards the services it provides in mitigating the impacts of climate change (e.g. urban heating, pollution and flooding) and the substantial increases in desirability this provides should be made clear. Furthermore, it should be set out in the BCP that this will be a requirement of the review of relevant Area Action Plans.