Peoples Republic of South Devon

Comment on the RSS (on this occasion that’s Regional Spacial Strategy)

July 25th, 2008

posted by Cptn

Did you know that communities minister Baroness Andrews has come out with such photofit quotes as: “The South West needs a long-term development vision that tackles the threat of climate change, addresses housing shortages and strengthens the region’s economy.”?

She was speaking at the publication and start of the public consultation on South West’s draft Regional Spacial Strategy, which has updates on housing, sustainable energy, transport and employment.

Consultation ends on Friday October 17. The proposals include such ideas and information that the “The South West is already the only region with above average house prices and below average incomes.” So there is a proposal to ” increase in the affordable housing target to 10,000 homes per annum (35 per cent of total housing provision)”. With an “additional 1,150 homes a year ” that “will ensure West of England, Exeter and Plymouth housing matches anticipated job growth.”

Plus:
* Development to focus on the strategically significant cities and towns of Bristol (£22m already allocated through New Growth Point funding), Bath (£2m), Cheltenham, Chippenham, Swindon (£11.5m), Salisbury, Dorchester, Exeter (£5.5m), Gloucester, Newton Abbot, Weymouth, Plymouth (£10m), Torbay (£5m), Taunton (£8.5m), Weston-super-Mare, Yeovil and the Cornish towns of Redruth, Truro (£5m), Falmouth, Pool and Camborne (£3.7m), as well as other market and coastal towns.

* Kerrier, Restormel and Teignbridge have also just been identified as New Growth Points and will now be eligible to bid for growth funding to support development in their areas. (but what happens when Teignbridge doesn’t exist anymore under the proposed changed to the structure of the county council?)

and then it just falls to the broad subjects of:
* Plans to help tackle climate change and contribute to delivering our national renewable energy targets.
* Strategic flood risk assessments will ensure new development is delivered in a way that mitigates the threat of flooding.
* Promoting sustainable public transport, walking and cycling and tackle congestion problems in our main urban areas particularly around Bristol.
* Ensuring development is supported by effective infrastructure.

And we’re reliably informed that the Proposed Changes Report and the accompanying documents can be viewed and downloaded from the Government Office for the South West’s website. Copies of the report are being sent to all those who took part in the Examination in Public. The report will also be available for public inspection at local authority offices and libraries across the region during normal working hours.

Also being published for comment are reports of the Sustainability Appraisal of the Proposed and the Habitats Regulation Assessment of the Proposed Changes.

Revised projections of households for the English regions to 2026 can be found at the communities governmentment website.

The Growth Fund allocations for the region have already been announced.

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Entry Filed under: Society