People living and working in the West of England have until 14th December to share their views to help shape a strategy for planning homes, employment spaces and transport links over the next 20 years.
The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has already received almost 1,000 responses to the survey it is running, and more than 260 people have registered to attend a series of online webinars over the last month.
Residents and businesses can still give their views via the survey on the West of England Combined Authority website.
Paper copies of the survey are available on request by calling 0117 428 6210 or by email at [email protected].
West of England Mayor Tim Bowles said: “I’m very grateful to everyone who has shared their views with us so far. There is still time to get involved if you haven’t done so already.
“Whether you are a resident, business or other organisation based in the West of England, I urge you to make sure your voice is heard at this early stage of the process, so that as the work progresses it reflects the priorities of the people who live and work here.
“This Spatial Development Strategy will make sure that over the next 20 years, we are building homes and providing jobs and infrastructure in the right places, so that the West of England remains a great place to live and work.
“Importantly, it will also make sure we are building sustainable communities that are less reliant on cars, improving our environment and connecting our residents to jobs, education, businesses and leisure facilities right across the region.”
As the region’s population grows and as people live longer, the amount and type of housing that is needed across the West of England is changing.
Covid-19 has also altered the way many people are working, travelling and spending their leisure time.
The strategy will help make sure residents have the homes they need, where they want to live with the connections to get to job opportunities, education and leisure across the region.
It offers an opportunity to plan for a cleaner, greener recovery, ensuring new development is resilient, contributes towards reducing carbon emissions, and brings improvements for nature and sustainability.
The West of England Combined Authority is working with Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire councils, stakeholders and residents to develop the plan.
Councillor Dine Romero, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “The Spatial Development Strategy will directly affect how people in Bath and North East Somerset live, work and enjoy leisure time.
“It is important to share your views and take part in the consultation especially as we all work towards a 2030 carbon neutral target, which means seeking sustainable solutions to housing, transport and the economy.”
The survey closes on 14th December 2020. Responses are the first step in developing a draft of the Spatial Development Strategy alongside technical evidence and studies.
Once the draft is completed and published in 2021, it will be subject to a full statutory consultation, providing the opportunity to formally comment on the proposed plan.
Once the Spatial Development Strategy is agreed and published, it will form part of the ‘development plan’ alongside council’s own Local Plans and Neighbourhood Plans which will be considered when determining planning applications across the region.
For more information, and the survey, visit https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/future-of-the-region/.
