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Representation ID: 23242

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Member of Parliament

Whilst acknowledging that the current consultation has worked within the framework of the statutory guidelines set down, I do not believe that it has worked within the spirit.
A more rigorous communication plan should have been in place to raise the spectre of the importance of this consultation particularly in areas which could potentially be most affected by any future plan to implement.
In my own constituency Councillors alongside volunteers have been left to play their civic role in seeking to encourage large-scale participation, but we all believe that this should have been backed up with greater central co-ordination.
There is widespread understanding amongst residents from my Aldridge-Brownhills constituency that we need to plan new homes for future generations, the only question we would ask is do we have to facilitate these whilst destroying some of our most precious Green Belt and Open Spaces?
The latest iteration of this Plan is unacceptable to me as the Member of Parliament for Aldridge-Brownhills and to large numbers of my constituents who have contributed to this consultation.
In responding to your consultation, I am insisting, on behalf of the constituency of Aldridge­ Brownhills, that the Black Country Plan lives up to its own aspiration to promote a development policy of Brownfield First.
As such I am expecting this plan Switches the Strategy back to Brownfield First and away from Green Belt, for the reasons identified by myself and the many contributors to this consultation.
At the start of this consultation process, I opened my own petition for this Plan to return to its core principles and some 2,611 have signed from across Aldridge-Brownhills to 'Switch the Strategy' back to Brownfield First. All of this information is appended to my submission.