Birmingham Friends of the Earth have urged Birmingham City Council to accept the majority of the Planning Inspector’s recommendations to the draft Birmingham Development Plan.
We support the Inspector’s recommendations particularly those around greater linking of policies concerning allotments and those relating green infrastructure.
We also welcome the reccomendations around sustainable neighbourhoods, including integrated mixed use areas, and better transport links to any new developments in Green Belt areas.
The linking of policies of sustainable neighbourhoods, local centres and sustainable transport in the Development Plan should be made to recognise that these are dependent on each other.
The inclusion and linking of the Development Plan’s objectives regarding green infrastructure with sustainable transport (walking and cycling in particular), sustainable communities and population health should be improved.
We would also welcome the linking of air pollution and walking and cycling, with the latter being part of the solution to the former.
We also agree with the Inspector’s comments around making more and better use of the district heating system in the city, particular in dense urban areas.
Finally we also agree with the Inspector’s comments concern making best use of available land and increasinfg urban density.
Birmingham Friends of the Earth accepts the Inspector’s reccommendations and we look forward to seeing a more sustainable Development Plan.
Full details of Birmingham Friends of the Earth’s Response can be found here. We welcome any comments or questions regarding the development plan or our response.
