West Midlands Regional Planning Policy

The Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) was approved in January 2008 following its first phase review which was a limited review and updated the original document in respect of issues specific to the Black Country. This version of the Regional Spatial Strategy is the latest adopted RSS and forms part of the Development Plan for all local planning authorities in the West Midlands

The RSS was due to be reviewed in two further stages, but, following the election of a new Government in May 2010 it is now expected that the RSS will not now be reviewed; instead the development of policies for regional and sub-regional matters is expected to be delegated down to County Councils and Unitary Councils, including Herefordshire.  Until such time as the new transitional arrangements are made known the current position is that the January 2008 version of the RSS remains as statutory planning policy.  The work done on the subsequent reviews remains relevant to planning interests because it is based on up-to-date evidence and, in the case of the Panel Report into the Phase 2 Review (which dates from September 2009) there is a significant amount of emerging policy that remains of interest in developing planning policies.

Further updates will be posted as they become available.  In the meantime the latest information can be found from the following websites for the former Regional Assembly: http://www.wmra.gov.uk/  and for the West Midlands Leaders' Board http://www.wmleadersboard.gov.uk/