BLACK COUNTRY STUDY
THIRD DRAFT
ENVIRONMENT TECHNICAL REPORT
QUALITY OF PLACE
WEST MIDLANDS REGIONAL ASSEMBLY- REGIONAL PLANNING BODY
This report has been prepared on behalf of the West Midlands Regional Assembly, the Regional Planning Body, as technical advice to inform the Regional Spatial Strategy Phase One Revision- Black Country Study. It is one of a suite of technical reports commissioned to inform the development of spatial policy as part of the Phase One Revision on West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy.
ENVIRONMENT TECHNICAL REPORT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Overall, work undertaken in the production of this report has been in accord with the following Guiding Principles in the Regional Spatial Strategy.
PRINCIPLE A To secure more sustainable patterns of development throughout the Region.
PRINCIPLE D To ensure that regional inequalities in education, health, environment, and social and cultural potential are narrowed.
PRINCIPLE F To protect and enhance the quality of the environment, strengthening the inter-relationship with economic and social progress and health and well-being.
PRINCIPLE G To ensure that the Region’s economic and social potential is not undermined by congestion and inaccessibility, but is supported through the provision of a better balanced and improved transport system.
PRINCIPLE H To ensure that every part of the West Midlands has a positive role to play in achieving a wider regional vision, and to have full regard to the linkages and relationships that exist between the West Midlands and adjacent areas.
POLICY DIRECTION
The Black Country’s collective contribution towards policy and action to tackle Climate Change is an imperative.
Black Country-wide sub-regional policy areas are identified, for example biodiversity, historic environment, open space, water resources and management, waste management and urban design. Some of these areas could be dealt with via a Black Country Core Strategy.
Environmental policy areas are also identified for particular attention within the future Local Development Frameworks of the Black Country Councils, for example air quality and contaminated land.
Detailed guidance in Supplementary Planning Document form at a sub- regional Black Country-wide focus is appropriate for a suite of topics including biodiversity, historic environment and specific water issues such as sustainable drainage amongst others.
Relationships and linkages to the work of Local Strategic Partnerships and Community Strategies are identified in part.
1 INTRODUCTION a. The Regional Spatial Strategy and Urban Renaissance
The Regional Spatial Strategy for the West Midlands (RSS 11) was published in 2004 and sets out the Region’s future development opportunities and priorities from now until 2021. It is a Statutory document and provides the Framework for plans developed at a local level. The Current Regional Spatial Strategy, which replaces the previous Regional Planning Guidance, gives a new direction for the Region by promoting Urban Renaissance of its major urban areas.
b. Urban Renaissance
Urban Renaissance is more than just regeneration of areas that need to be a focus of public and private sector investment for their economic, social and environmental revival. Renaissance involves a major transformation of an area, through:- Changes in the pattern of land uses; Revival of outworn housing, industrial areas and town and city centres; Radical improvement of the quality of the environment – not just establishing a greener, more pleasant environment, but improved quality of services, shopping, air, water, access to open space, housing conditions, road safety and personal security.
Equally, the process of change requires both changes in attitude, and confidence in an area, such that people in the area and potential new residents and investors, will see it as a good place to live, work and trade. The process of renaissance involves combining required action on housing, employment, shopping, transport and so on, into a “seamless package”. This means that all the various initiatives to make an area a better place need to interact with each other so that the benefits of one area of action will be felt over the full range of initiatives required.
Today, some 1,100,000 now live, and 500,000 people work in the Black Country. Yet, these are challenging times, as 20,000 people have moved out of the Black Country in the last 10 years and that trend is set to continue. The Renaissance of the Black Country is becoming urgent and represents a major challenge facing the Region. Indeed this is recognised by the fact that the Government has requested that the Black Country Study be undertaken as part of the review of the RSS, and furthermore, is being ‘fast tracked’ as the First Phase. The RSS, in doing so, recognises that, at a sub-regional level, there are many inter-connected issues affecting the Black Country. The Project Plan for the first Phase review has been published and sets out in detail the issues and Objectives and timetable and process for engaging stakeholders and should be read in alongside this document. c. Government Policy
The Black Country is not an island, and in considering its future, it must carefully consider its relationship to and role within the wider Region and Nationally. The Government have sought to ensure that greenfield land for development is only used as a last resort and has challenged urban areas like the Black Country to meet their own economic and social needs. They assume that the Black Country which is heavily dependent upon reusing previously developed land, should seek to meet its
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own housing needs and accommodate people coming back into the Black Country to live. Further, they would wish the Black Country to find the land needs for new technology companies, warehousing and relocating firms within the built-up area, but accept there may be circumstances when this cannot be wholly achieved. If so, special circumstances will need to be demonstrated for land release beyond the built- up area.
Climate change is a key challenge in shaping the future of the Black Country. As the UK climate gets warmer there will be changes to both average and extreme weather conditions, including possibly more extreme rainfall events and increased risks of local flooding. Transport related emissions are forecast to rise and this is a particular challenge to land use/transport planning of the Black Country. Despite change and population growth, the Black Country must seek to contribute to UK Governments and Regional targets to reduce carbon emissions and to maximise the sustainability of new development. d. Trends in the Black Country
We know that the Black Country has been and will continue to face many worrying trends and unless the Black Country takes actions to counter these trends there will be: A Loss of population with a further 84,000 people forecast to move out over the next 30 years An increasing 3bn productivity gap A further widening of the earnings gap and the Black Country will be considerably worse off than it is now in terms of incomes A potential loss of a further 65, 000 manufacturing jobs over the next 30 years Too many low value jobs and not enough high value jobs Poor education and skills levels below the national average Decline of major town centres Increasing road congestion and decline in air quality Poor housing quality and choice Potential loss and reduction of biodiversity areas Continuing decline and loss of the Black Country’s historic environment Lack of appreciation of and management for the many functions of Open Space Reduction in water quality and pollution Poor recycling and recovery rates in relation to waste management Poor physical image with development opportunities limited by lack of quality land
e. The 30 Year Vision and the Objectives
Through the Black Country Study the Black Country Consortium is seeking to address these trends and is testing its aspirations for the future as set out in the Black Country Vision “Looking Forward: The Black Country in 2033”
“In 2033, the Black Country is a confident, “we can do it” place. We are proud of our skills, our proficiency and our work ethic – these are key to our prosperity. The Black Country is now a truly Polycentric City – made up of four
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thriving and distinct retail and commercial ‘City’ centres – each one playing a unique role.”
In summary, the Black Country Vision for 2033 is of a Black Country comprising many different communities – offering a choice of very desirable housing for all. We will be celebrating our multi-cultural society. Educational attainments will match anywhere in Europe. A transport revolution will have taken place with our bus, Metro, rail and road networks making it easy to move around the Black Country, into Birmingham and to the rest of the City Region. Our manufacturing companies will be prospering, at the cutting edge of technological innovation. Our four main centres – Wolverhampton, Walsall, West Bromwich and Brierley Hill/Merry Hill – will each offer a distinctive, wide range of shopping, leisure and cultural facilities, office employment, and housing. Our canal system, linking our communities together, means we are known as Bri tain’s Venice. Our high quality environment – not our industrial legacy - dominates the urban landscape.
It will not be easy to realise this vision. To do so, The Black Country must build on its strengths as well as addressing its challenges. This will require significant increases in private and public investment to ensure that our communities are places in which all truly wish to live and work. This will also require major changes in the planning and transport policies, which will guide this investment. To make progress towards the realisation of this Vision, the Consortium has set Four Objectives:
1. To stop the net-out migration from the Black Country – to plan for population growth; 2. To raise Black Country income levels; 3. To accommodate more people with higher skills – to bring the social and economic mix of the people living in the Black Country in line with England as a whole; and 4. To transform the environment - to protect and enhance the environment and to create safe, attractive and healthy places to live and work
f. Opportunities
There are already a wide range of ongoing planning and regeneration initiatives that contribute towards that transformation, for example – Unitary Development Plans for each Black Country Borough, Urban Regeneration Companies in West Bromwich and Walsall, the Brierley Hill Regeneration Partnership, I54 development and the HMRA for Sandwell/Birmingham and the Telford/BC HMA initiative. These initiatives all contribute to the Vision. However, the evidence shows that the scale and speed of change identified in these policies and action programmes must be accelerated and co-ordinated if there is to be the necessary transformation in the quality of Black Country living and working.
At the same time, there are key opportunities:- Areas of outworn housing likely to need redevelopment in the next 25 years; An expected surplus of industrial land arising from the inevitable reduction in the extent of land required by industry in future, and as a result of poor operating conditions for industry in some existing locations; The Wolverhampton city centre and key town centres which have the potential to provide for growth in shops, offices, leisure and city living; The excellent transport network in parts of the Black Country around which much improved quality land can be provided to meet the needs
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of employment sectors which need easy access to the major roads and motorways; Potential key locations close to or within public transport corridors, where higher density homes and offices can be provided. A variety of types of housing area which can accommodate a range of housing densities to match the varying needs of different sections of the Black Country community. g. The Black Country Study
The Objectives form the basis of the Black Country Study. The Consortium is undertaking the Study, on behalf of the West Midlands Regional Assembly. The Black Country Study is subject to an independent Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment. The Black Country Study comprises a set of Black Country wide technical studies that have tested the Vision in order to establish the degree to which the Objectives can be achieved. The details of these studies are set out in the Project Plan. The studies are available from XXXXXXXX You are encouraged to refer to these studies when considering this report and a useful summary of them can be found at XXXXXXX. These studies have taken their lead from the aspirations set by the Black Country Vision rather than a conventional ‘trend’ based approach. In other words, these studies set out what must we achieve and therefore what do we need to do differently in order to achieve our vision, rather than what might we achieve if we follow trends. These Studies are based on assumptions. Most important of these is to deliver the housebuilding rates that have already been agreed in RSS to 2021 and an extension of these to 2031, and leading to a projected population of 1.2 million people.
The RSS gives these as minimum targets for housebuilding in the Black Country to 2021 which would enable the meets its own needs. This means that the population in the BC will grow by 60,000 more people in contrast to recent population loss. Recent National Population projections however, also indicate that there maybe a greater movement of people leading to demand for more housing in urban areas like the BC. h. The Scale and Nature of the Change required in the Black Country to 2031
The technical studies have shown that in order to create a modern economy and reverse population decline in a sustainable manner, the Black Country will need to:
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Raise incomes to 90% of the UK average (excluding London) Create 160,000 new jobs (95,000 net) Raise skill levels - 100,000 more people with qualifications Attract over 400,000sqm of new shopping floorspace, beyond current plans and respond to the market by focusing shopping development in major town and city centres Provide for and attract 900,000 sq metres of additional office space to accommodate growth of 101,000 jobs in office employment which should be focused in major town and city centres Renew 3000 hectares of employment land by providing quality locations for modern business with a plentiful supply of labour and access to the Motorway network. Accommodate 44,000 more households to 2021 and 71,000 in total to 2031 Change the environment by protecting and enhancing it and contribute towards targets to address climate change Reduce congestion and improve accessibility
These are important assumptions for the Study and represent a major transformation of the Black Country today. They set the scale and direction for change to 2021 (the RSS timescale) and beyond.
The Secretary of State has given the utmost priority to the establishment of key actions to achieve urban renaissance in the Black Country to stem the current population loss being experienced which in itself limits our contribution to sustainable communities and regional and national competitiveness. He has requested as a matter of urgency that a Black Country Study be undertaken which would provide input to both an early partial review of RSS and to the more detailed development plans to be prepared by the Black Country Boroughs.
He asked that the Black Country Study give attention to and advise him upon: o Regeneration priorities; o The strategic role of town centres and Brierley Hill/Merry Hill; o Urban capacity; employment land; o The scope for environmental and town centre improvements; o Ways of improving access to regeneration sites, particularly on the eastern side of the Black Country.
These issues have formed the Framework for the Black Country Study and have been looked at as an integrated package.
The BCS is configured to fit with the Minister of State’s comments in making the Proposed Changes to RPG11. The “scope for environmental improvements” was specifically identified as an issue requiring attention, alongside other issues such as economic, housing and transport issues. In addition, RPG11 establishes that the Black Country is identified for Major Urban Environmental Improvement Initiatives; hence, the inclusion of the Environment theme. In order to help achieve, advise and oversee this work, an Environment Theme Group was formed consisting of council officers with an environmental remit and a range of environmental stakeholders.
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Major Components of the Environment Theme
The following topics were identified as being appropriate and relevant to the Black Country Study:
Air Quality Biodiversity Contaminated Land Energy Historic Environment Canals Open Space Urban Design Waste & Minerals / Recycling Water – Sustainable Drainage
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: AIR QUALITY
Characteristics
Although the overall air quality of the Black Country has improved dramatically since the name was used to describe the industrial area because of its gross air pollution, development change has meant changes in effects and types of pollution. With the decline and change from heavy industry and coal burning to cleaner fuels and smoke control areas, thick dark smoke and “pea soup” smog have gone, however increased road transport and industrial change has led to different types of air pollution prevailing.
Weather can play a key role in effecting pollution with photochemical smog forming in hot weather, where emission gases combine and react to form low level ozone and smog. Prevailing winds move air pollution, so that in general, areas to the north and east tend to have worse air quality conditions.
Air quality and energy use are closely linked, in that however energy is utilised means that it causes an impact on air quality. The use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas releases greenhouse gases and with particular importance for climate change, the release of carbon monoxide CO and carbon dioxide CO2.
It is important to realise that all of our lifestyles have an impact on air quality: from the energy used to heat our homes, workplaces and other buildings to the type of transport we use and to the materials we use and the food we consume. One factor that may be overlooked is that of “embedded energy “ such as that used to produce everything from buildings to everyday consumer items; the type and amount of energy used in their manufacture will have a direct impact on air quality.
There are a large range of potential air pollutants, which range from those produced by the Electricity Supply Industry, Transport, Industry, Incinerators and even such things as gassing landfill sites.
Road transport is now a major producer of air pollutants with nitrogen dioxide and fine particulates (PM10s) being the two major air pollutant concerns.
For example, traffic fumes can include the following :
Benzene 1,3-Butadiene Carbon Monoxide Lead Nitrogen Dioxide PM10 Particles and Sulphur Dioxide
These seven pollutants are included within the national air quality strategy for air quality. Current monitoring of these key pollutants has shown that there is concern over the levels of nitrogen dioxide and PM10s in the Black Country.
There are also the perceptions linked to odours and the added issue of secondary pollutants, such as the production of low level ozone.
Climate Change is linked to Greenhouse gases, such as nitrogen oxides, NOx and sulphur dioxide, SO2, along with methane CH4 (e.g. from landfills) and carbon dioxide, CO2. The overwhelming human impact on climate change is through the use of fossil fuels which releases greenhouse gases.
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Schemes exist whereby tree planting can help “offset” carbon emissions and in future carbon trading (whereby payments will be made in relation to carbon emissions made) and these “permissions to pollute” will be tradable, are likely to become the norm.
Finally, green open spaces and in particular, trees help ameliorate air quality by physical and chemical means. Vegetation produces oxygen and foliage physically filters and helps remove pollutants such as particulates.
Growing trees take up carbon dioxide C02 and sequester it, locking away carbon into wood as the tree grows, which is essentially the only way (i.e. the simplest and most natural) to remove C02 from the atmosphere and therefore help ameliorate against potential climate change.
Significance of Resource / Asset for Black Country
Air quality effects our quality of life and environment from damage to buildings and natural resources to our health. There has been major improvement to air quality over recent years with less gross pollution from heavy industry and coal burning in the Black Country and consequent improvements to health.
A study by the URGENT programme reported that in the West Midlands region 140 deaths could be prevented a year from air pollution effects if the number of trees were doubled.
In particular air quality is a key indicator for the Quality of Environment; poor air quality having a negative effect on the overall perception of the Black Country as well as in actual terms.
Key Messages
Air Quality is a direct and implicit element of the quality of life.
Poor air quality causes adverse effects on health, damage to buildings and vegetation.
Poor air quality can also have an economic impact through the lack of increased investment due to poor environmental image.
Trees and vegetation act as air conditioning and also helps sequester carbon, thus ameliorating climate issues.
The Local Air Quality Management process has a range of measures to achieve air quality objectives. These include strategies for managing local air quality, smoke and traffic. Land use planning and local transport plans will also have a direct effect on air quality.
It is likely that carbon emissions will become a much greater environmental driver in policy, with emphasis on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and helping to ameliorate climate change.
Policy Direction
Planning Guidance and Transport must address air quality in The Black Country
The introduction of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regime, enforced by the Local Authorities and Environment Agency will continue to control and improve emissions to the environment from industrial processes, which should be emphasised through planning guidance.
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A greater focus on combining air pollution and greenhouse gas mitigation policy will be required.
Policy to drive forward efforts to help reduce air pollution and in particular carbon emissions should include encouraging renewable energies, conservation of energy, changes in lifestyles, recycling and promoting new technologies.
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: BIODIVERSITY
Background
“The overall vision for the West Midlands Region is one of a successful, outward looking and adaptable region, rich in culture and environment, where all people, working together are able to meet their aspirations and needs without prejudicing the quality of life for future generations.” So says the West Midlands Regional Concordat August 2003.
Characteristics
Sustainable development demands the integrated management of the economic, social and environmental factors affecting peoples’ quality of life. Both Biodiversity and Geodiversity contribute to economic activity and social progress, as well as being key determinants of environmental quality and important and sensitive indicators of how much progress we are making. It will be impossible to realise the vision for the Black Country without paying regard to, making provision for and helping people to use and enjoy their local wildlife and geological heritage.
Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, and geodiversity, the variety of rocks, minerals and natural processes, are an integral part of the unique natural heritage of the Black Country and help to provide its distinctiveness and identity. Securing the future of the Black Country’s biodiversity, by conserving and restoring the quality of the natural environment and by creating new resources, lies at the very core of the Concordat’s vision. They are prominent characteristics of the Concordat’s ambitions for promoting and marketing the West Midlands as an economically successful and world-class region.
The biodiversity and geodiversity of the geological past gave us the Black Country we have today. Limestone and coal, allied to local peoples’ skills and other raw materials provided the foundation of the area’s wealth. Technology developed from the first use of minerals and timber from woodlands, to the use of water power and thence to the Industrial Revolution, the age of iron and steel and of machines and manufacturing.
The landscape has many reminders of the Black Country’s evolution from farming, through the Industrial Revolution and into today’s post-industrial society. The area’s natural and geological heritage is inextricably bound up with its cultural heritage and economic development. Many sites have developed biodiversity and geodiversity value following extractive and industrial use. These include nationally and internationally significant places such as Wrens Nest, a National Nature Reserve since 1956, and Fens Pools Site of Special Scientific Interest, and Special Area of Conservation of European importance. The geological heritage of the Black Country is of international renown, there are few other places on earth with a comparable range of geological time exposed in such small an area with one million people on the doorstep.
Farming continues, especially on the fringes of the conurbation, and there are many examples of encapsulated countryside with wetlands, woodland, meadow and hedgerows. Past and present infrastructure, such as disused railway lines and canals wind their way through the urban area, as at Valley Park in Wolverhampton. Formal parks, public open spaces, the Black Country Urban Forest, allotments, gardens and water bodies help to cement the matrix. Formerly developed and industrial sites (sometimes called “brownfield sites”) provide additional diversity, as natural succession has reclaimed the land. All of these features help to “loosen” the urban fabric.
Finding homes amongst these urban spaces are familiar species such as house sparrows, house martins foxes and frogs, in addition to a number of protected and vulnerable species such as great crested newts, water voles and bats. The open spaces and wetlands are also important to migratory birds, large numbers of which pass through the Black Country in spring and autumn.
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Significance of Resource / Asset for Black Country
The natural world helps to “green” towns and cities, offers opportunities to escape noise and pollution and for relaxation and recreation, gives protection from the elements and makes urban areas more attractive to live in. The well-being of a city’s wildlife is a key indicator of the state of the environment for its people. Clean rivers and wetlands, safe and well- managed woodlands and grasslands, and diverse and stimulating parks and other formal open spaces are good for both people and wildlife. Successful urban regeneration should be built on a proper appreciation of the values and functions of the landscape and natural world in towns and cities. Biodiversity is a recognised indicator of environmental quality.
This importance is reflected in the Regional Spatial Strategy which includes policies to protect and enhance priority habitats and species, and to make wider provision for wildlife. It also identifies a series of Biodiversity Enhancement Areas for the West Midlands region. Two of these include parts of the Black Country, one taking in north Worcestershire and a large tranche of Dudley, encompassing Wrens Nest National Nature Reserve and other high quality sites; the second reaching in from the north and including Cannock Chase, Chasewater, the Beacon Regional Park, Sutton Park, the Forest of Mercia area and finally ending in the Sandwell Valley. These build on the strong and clear protection, enhancement and management policies included within the four Black Country Unitary Development Plans to safeguard the area’s biodiversity.
Key Messages
A strategic approach is required to sustain and repair the basic ecological and geological support framework at a Black Country landscape scale. Consistent policies are required across the Black Country. The greenspace network is a key aspect of environmental quality and is intimately linked to the area’s history and economic development. This network should be protected and enhanced by the identification of, links, corridors and networks of sites. Their protection, management and enhancement will act to reduce fragmentation and isolation of habitats and species. This approach will help to provide a strategic network for biodiversity in the face of the need to prepare and adapt for climate change impacts. A strategic approach to integrating environmental improvement with development brings opportunities for targeted habitat restoration and recreation and proactive planning for priority species. The two Biodiversity Enhancement Areas located in the Black Country offer considerable potential in this respect and should be the foci for this strategic approach. The creation/enhancement of open space and green infrastructure of value for wildlife and geological heritage in wildlife poor areas is a priority. Targeted planning policies are required to encourage and guide this provision, together with the identification of the means to help deliver measures on the ground, such as a strategic use of section 106 agreements, as well as site-based management agreements and planning conditions. Essential to achieving the above strategic approach is the collection and maintenance of biodiversity and geological information in a consistent and co-ordinated fashion across the Black Country. A Biodiversity Audit of the Black Country is long overdue. The new planning system requires monitoring and review of the effectiveness of policy. Monitoring the effect of development on the Black Country’s biodiversity and geodiversity assets will be a key requirement of assessment of policy effectiveness. A quality environment can only be achieved by the integration of development with the protection, conservation and enhancement of environmental assets such as biodiversity. The hierarchical approach of avoiding, reducing, compensating and mitigating impacts should be built into design policies. Partnership effort is required to ensure that the formulation, planning and delivery of the Black Country as Urban Park (BCUP) fulfils its potential to provide the crucial framework for realising biodiversity and geodiversity objectives.
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Another challenge, and by no means less important, is to help people re-connect with the natural systems that sustain them and to make the most of the potential of the green environment to contribute to health and quality of life. Addressing areas of deficiency of natural open space- in terms of both quantity and quality, will be an important aspect of this challenge. If the Black Country Vision is to be achieved overall, resources and political will and support will be crucial. More importantly, support from Black Country residents is critical to the achievement of the Vision. In securing popular, political and financial support for action to protect and enhance the natural world as a vital element of the Black Country’s future high quality environment, there is a need for a branded product to attract, encourage and enhance this support.
Policy Direction
A Black Country Core Strategy at LDF level should require the establishment of a framework of core biodiversity and geodiversity planning policies. These policies should cover Key Messages 1 – 8 as above. Core indicators and targets should be selected and agreed and an annual monitoring methodology should be established. These should be supported by provision of resources to support policy data management and monitoring requirements.RSS POLICY QE1, QE7 Policies to encourage the further development of the Black Country as Urban Park concept and Landscape Masterplan should identify the need to address biodiversity and geodiversity, and particularly within the Biodiversity Enhancement Areas. LDF policies are also required for accessible natural open space.The Black Country Core Strategy should state this explicitly. Key messages 1 – 8 should be covered. RSS QE1 – QE9 (inclusive) Black Country biodiversity and geodiversity targets derived from the Birmingham & Black Country Biodiversity Action Plan and Black Country Geodiversity Action Plan should be embedded within each Black Country LDF. Local indicators and targets should be selected and agreed and an annual monitoring methodology should be established. RSS QE7 Detailed biodiversity / geodiversity planning guidance at Black Country level is needed. This should have SPD status. The development of this guidance should make best use of the existing partnerships which operate within the Black Country. RSS QE1, QE 2, QE7 The delivery of biodiversity / geodiversity action at the local level should be addressed within each of the four Black Country Community Plans / Community Strategies and should be focussed in relation to local priorities. Monitoring action and the outcomes of action can be aggregated to the Black Country level. The development of this delivery should make best use of the existing partnerships which operate within the Black Country. Key messages 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8. RSS does not appear to have policy linkage to Community Plans and Strategies.
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: CONTAMINATED LAND
Characteristics
The Black Country has distinctive topography and geology that has helped shape the urban form. Mineral wealth associated with its geology drove the first phase of the industrialisation of the Black Country and has influenced settlement form based on extractive industries and early industrial processes using that mineral wealth.
The Black Country we see today is epitomized to a large extent by its built environment being based on the former use to which land has been put many valued open spaces being based on former industrial/ mineral sites.
There are a number of sites in the Black Country severely contaminated with chemicals such as heavy metals. All contaminated land sites will need to be assessed to ensure that risks from contamination are reduced to acceptable levels so there are no unacceptable risks to people or wildlife.
Significance of Resource / Asset for Black Country
The area of brownfield /derelict /contaminated land in the Black Country amounts to c 700 Ha.
The availability and suitability of land for re-use is fundamental to the aspirations of the Black Country as it is the core resource that enables the spatial strategy to be realised.
Key Messages
Development needs to optimise the use of previously developed land and buildings to create high quality built environments incorporating high quality green space and encouraging biodiversity.
A culture of enterprise and innovation needs to be encouraged.
The financial case for the remediation of land by creating a market for economic growth needs to be made.
Appreciate and understand the difference between the legal definition of “contaminated land” and that which is contaminated or potentially so. There is also derelict land which may or may not be contaminated.
The Black Country must ensure its polices are in line with the National Soil Strategy. This strategy aims to ensure the soils that are a key non-renewable resource are protected for future generations.
It is vital that redevelopment recognises the need to conserve and protect ground water that can often be in close contact with contaminated soil. Ground water is a vulnerable resource that feeds not only rivers but also supports aquifers. These in turn supply water to people and agriculture. It is vital that development of the Black Country recognises the importance of protecting this vulnerable resource.
There needs to be a strategic view on the location and quality of contaminated land in the Black Country. Some contaminated land may already be fulfilling an important role as an informal wildlife area. For other land it may not be an economic option to develop the land for housing but the land would be put to better use as a recreation area or wildlife area.
The technology for on-site remediation of contaminated land has greatly improved in recent years and this will be encouraged as far as possible. These processes are regulated and this can cause delay to a development. These added requirements must be recognised and time for obtaining the appropriate licences factored into the development time. The EU Landfill
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directive will make "digging and dumping " in the future much more difficult and a much more expensive option. The directive will result in a reduction in the available capacity in land fills and a much larger proportion of waste will be classified as hazardous waste and will need to be disposed in designed sites.
Isolated sites need to be aggregated.
Policy Direction
Support polices in Local Development Framework on optimising the use of contaminated land land.
Include/ encourage the promotion of the historic environment.
Develop a Black Country wide Supplementary Planning Document to direct and encourage the use of on site remediation on contaminated land
Link all partners in the Black Country that have expertise in dealing with contaminated /previously developed land. Set up a forum for sharing information and developing remediation best practise and sharing information on how to obtain the appropriate licences. Pursue funding initiatives with AWM and English Partnerships to progress the remediation of land to enable the spatial strategy to be realised.
Ensure all Local Development Frameworks take a strategic approach to the development of contaminated land. This should include considering current uses and using the land for non- development options such as open space. The LDFs should recognise the importance of bringing contaminated and previously used land back into sustainable use in order to assist with environmental, social and economic regeneration. This will help achieve the goals set out in the aims of the National and Regional Sustainable Development Frameworks.
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: ENERGY
Characteristics
We need energy for every aspect of life, to keep us fed, warm and provide us with light. Most of it comes from the sun for these purposes. In addition to this, as an industrialised country, we’ve progressively called upon additional energy sources to help us exploit raw materials and produce and deliver goods and services and travel between places. The very origins and growth of the Back Country depended upon finding and exploiting the coal seams that are close to the surface here. Up until the mid 20th Century, the area’s economic wealth and associated population growth came essentially from mining coal and metal-based industries, which relied upon and abundance of cheap local coal to power them.
Things have changed. For the passed half century the coal has been progressively replaced by natural gas, electricity and oil as the main sources of power. It’s one of the reasons why the Black Country lost the basis for its original competitive edge over other UK and foreign manufacturers. Its ‘traditional’ coal based industries have been closing down as a consequence. In energy terms the Black Country no longer has any competitive advantage whatsoever over most other places in the UK. It too is now dependant upon the national grid to supply it with electricity from Rugeley and Ironbridge power stations and the national gas network supplies it with natural gas. Oil and petrol are delivered here from refineries based around the UK’s coastline.
Significance of Resource / Asset for Black Country
WM Regional targets for CO2 Savings through Improving Energy Efficiency:
Industry: Target: Reduce CO2 emissions by 2,400,000 tonnes (18%) by 2010
There is a wide variety of advanced energy saving technologies that can be deployed. It’s assumed most businesses will see the financial advantage of investing in them. Most commonly there’s the use of high efficiency motors, variable speed drives, combined heat and power plants (CHP) and using better energy management.
To demonstrate that it’s possible and worthwhile, Sandwell’s BISNES (Business in Sandwell Network of Environmental Support) Group pays for an energy survey and advice scheme to Sandwell companies. From the first 30 companies surveyed, it found that they could save on average 13% on their carbon dioxide emissions by cutting out wasted energy (that’s a £12,500 saving on fuel bills each year). The average payback period for the energy efficiency investments required is less than 12 months – and many of the actions, like turning off heating and lighting that are not required, don’t cost anything. Presumably the same is true for the rest of industry in the Black Country. Clearly this is a waste of energy affecting the bottom line on the profitability of local businesses. What’s more the £millions wasted on paying needlessly high fuel bills is lost from circulation in the local Black Country economy causing it to be weakened.
Homes and domestic use: Target: Reduce CO2 by 2,400,000 (19%) by 2010 There are substantial savings to be made in existing homes that are performing poorly producing around 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year (costing around £700 on fuel bills). They are as follows:
Average annual CO2 saving per household (kilograms) Improved loft 250 insulation Install cavity wall 1,000 insulation Solid wall insulation 1,000 Double glazing 470
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replacing single glazing) Draught Proofing 123 (where’s there’s currently none) Hot Water cylinder 130 insulation Upgrading heating to 880 high efficiency gas powered Condensing Boilers Improving boiler and 320 thermostat controls Fit energy efficient 250 lighting Use energy efficient 120 appliances Turn of lights and 500 standbys on electrical equipment when not in use
Sandwell Council funds the Black Country Energy Efficiency Advice Centre in West Bromwich. It has been giving energy advice since 1990 and has averaged 2,000 households each year. The advice it gives would save each household on average 2 tonnes of CO2 each year, if all of the advice is followed. But in reality the average household only carries out part of the advice and goes on to save 0.5 tonnes. Nevertheless, it means that each year the advice leads to an extra 1,000 tonnes of CO2 being saved in Sandwell. If fuel costs increase and the government introduce more inducements, then presumably households will be motivated to invest more in energy savings.
The investment in energy efficiency from the housing associations and trusts that run social housing in the Black Country will make a significant contribution to people’s comfort and energy saved.
Improved building regulation and their enforcement are also required to improve the energy efficiency of the stock of the new housing that is planned for the Black Country.
Again the £millions saved on reduced household fuel bills would be better spent strengthening the local Black Country economy rather than being ‘lost’ to energy suppliers based outside.
Transport: Target: Stabilise emissions by 2010 It’s hoped that improvements to the efficiency of vehicles, Green Travel Plans in work places and the use of Biodiesel will contribute to halting the growth in transport emissions. Total carbon dioxide emissions from West Midlands road and rail transport are predicted to level out, despite traffic growth, and remain at the 2002 level through to 2050.
The Black Country Study, Town planning and architecture can influence urban form, community and housing layouts. They role they can play in modifying existing communities and create new ones in the longer term should not be underestimated. Ideally homes, services, amenities, and jobs should be arranged in such a way as to allow people to lead their daily lives using the minimum of energy from fossil fuels .
Shops, offices Target: Reduce emissions by 2,000,000 tonnes (36%) by 2010 and the public sector
Most of this will be achieved through commercial pressures and building regulation controls on new buildings.
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Sandwell Council has since 1990 has managed to reduce the total amount of carbon dioxide coming from its schools, sports pecial, libraries and offices, by 17,000 tonnes (a 30% saving). It’s hoped that the rebuilding of all of the borough’s High Schools to good eco standards will add to these savings.
WM targets for CO2 Savings through Use of Renewable Energy
It should be noted that, nuclear power and energy produced by mass burning of waste refuse are not classed as renewable. The table below records the renewable technologies, the amounts of CO2 that they’re saving at present in the West Midlands Region; plus the realistic estimates for how much they might be saving by 2010.
Renewable source Existing CO2 Lowest CO2 Highest CO2 Savings savings estimate savings estimate (tonnes) for 2010 (tonnes) for 2010 (tonnes) Landfill Gas 47,000 240,000 240,000 Sewage Gas 0 76,000 76,000 Wind 0 400,000 900,000 Biomass 0 50,000 133,000 Hydro 3,000 7,000 11,000 Solar (photovoltaics 100 3,000 3,000 only) Biogas 0 ? ? Total 50,100 776,000 1,363,000
2005 Landfill Gas At present there are two landfill gas sites in the Black Country with a combined operating capacity of 3.82 MW. They’re at Turners Hill Quarry in Sandwell and at Himley in Dudley. It’s relatively easy and cost effective to vent the methane from landfill sites and burn it to produce electricity in a generator. So it’s likely that more of this type of power stations will appear here. In appearance they could be mistaken for the sort of metal container carried on lorries, trains and cargo ships.
Landfill gas is not however considered to have a long-term resource. Each landfill site has a finite life once all the tipped rotting waste has totally decomposed. Any future landfill sites are unlikely to produce much methane because European recycling legislation will soon dramatically reduce the amount of rottable material being tipped into them. As a consequence, a peak in landfill gas electricity generation is expected around 2015.
2006 Sewage Gas Each of us produces enough ‘sewage sludge’ each year to generate 20 kWh of electricity. So what 40 people flush down the toilet could power a house with electricity all year round! This fact hasn’t escaped the attention of Severn Trent Water Authority and it has recently installed sewage gas plant at Minworth capable of generating 6 MW. Minworth Sewage treatment works is where all of the sewage from the Black Country and Birmingham goes for treatment.
2007 Wind The upper and lower estimates in the table for wind power for the region by 2010 are really quite challenging. It equates to some 100 to 200 large-scale wind turbines being built within the next 6 years. We don’t have any such wind turbines planned in the region as yet and for good reason – wind turbine developers are currently more enthusiastic about the more lucrative offshore prospects and those in upland areas.
Having said this, work has begun on exploring whether it’s feasible to site larger turbines (600 kW – 2MW) in urban areas in the Black Country (they’re the sort you find on moors already). Plainly wind resources in the conurbation are quite modest compared to those in upland sites throughout the UK. However they are in fact comparable with those on the continent, where wind turbines are flourishing. The main difference is that governments on the continent have
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created a financial system very conducive to investing in smaller scale local generation. So, unlike the situation in the UK, developers and community investors don’t need to sell large volumes of electricity quickly to secure a rapid payback on their initial borrowings. They also don’t have a national grid distribution system that makes it difficult and expensive for smaller scale generators to be plugged in to it.
Sandwell Council is at present working with Ecotricity (a wind turbine developer) with a view to locally generating its own supply of green electricity. Using solely the principle that such turbines need to be at least 400m away from people’s homes, it appears there may be the potential for no more than two or three larger turbines along the motorway or rail corridor in Sandwell. Having said this, there may be scope for up to ten smaller turbines (less than 600KW) in Sandwell’s larger industrial areas.
2008 Biomass This source of power relates to burning material derived from forestry, arboriculture, wood processing and combustible agricultural residues. Large-scale power stations could simply burn these materials on mass to generate electricity (which is what they’re peciali at Ironbridge power station at present). However it’s considered not an efficient enough use of this resource. Instead it’s more productively used to fuel smaller scale systems for directly heating buildings – especially where the only other form of heating available is electric. Such appliances range from ‘box’ stoves, Rayburn type appliances in the home up to the 700kW wood pellet burning system part heating Worcestershire County Hall.
One of the main barriers at present to the growth of this market, is the supply chain not being able to provide guaranteed amounts of reliable quality wood fuel from local sources. This is currently being addressed in the West Midlands and there certainly is scope for more buildings, such as schools, in the Black Country to be heated by such a range of biomass fuels. Not only will this help out the rural economy in adjacent shires, it will also provide an outlet for urban forestry and arboriculture residues and clean waste woods from Black Country industry.
2009 Hydro Despite having major rivers running through it, the West Midlands simply doesn’t have the topography / geology to create the volume and heads of water required to make hydroelectric schemes of any significance viable. This is especially true in the Black Country.
2010 Solar
There are three different uses of solar power to consider:
6a. Passive solar heating, ventilation and day lighting This involves the deliberate design of buildings and their layouts to optimise the use of sunlight for heating, ventilation and lighting. Although it’s not normally considered to be a source for renewable energy generation it is a very important way of reducing the demand for extra energy for heating and lighting and ventilation. If deployed properly, with good insulation and efficient appliances on the 50,000 new homes proposed up to 2021 for the Black Country (Regional Planning Guidance), it should reduce household energy demand and create savings of around 400,000 tonnes, compared to if they were built conventionally.
Harnessing passive solar is not included in the table above for the West Midlands Region because it was treated as an energy efficiency matter. But when you consider the scale of energy savings involved and equate it to having the same sort of impact as erecting 100 large scale wind turbines, one should begin to see the importance of it’s contribution.
6b. Solar Water heating This system involves pre-heating water by running it through sun-heated panels normally mounted on roofs. It’s a well-tested technology that can save the user 10% of a home’s fossil fuel consumption and pays for itself over 12 –20 years. In the West Midlands it’s estimated that there are some 4,500 domestic solar water heating systems – together they’re capable of saving 5,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. Again the table above does not include any
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estimate for how much this technology can contribute, but ideally such panels should be fitted as standard on the roofs of new buildings that have the correct southerly orientation. If applied to half of the proposed 50,000 new houses for the Black Country it might save as much as 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
6c. Photovoltaic Panels These panels use semiconductors to convert sunlight directly into electricity. Unfortunately they are comparatively expensive at present and only pay for themselves after 40-50 years. This probably explains why their take up is very slow. It’s not quite clear why the West Midlands has currently got the lowest take up rate of this technology in England though.
The estimated figures in the table merely assumes that the West Midlands might catch up with the national growth rate, which would still only deliver savings of 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. It’s reckoned that a major initiative form the government to push prices down would only deliver savings of 10,000 tonnes across the region. It’s therefore concluded that it’s a technology that is best deployed when it can be used as an alternative to expensive cladding on new or refurbished buildings. Sandwell Council fitted them on Bowater House on The Lyng in West Bromwich. It’s a refurbished tower block and the panels annually save about 10 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
2011 Biogas (essentially the same as sewage gas process)
Biogas technology uses the burning of the methane produced by fermenting biodegradable material to generate heat and electricity. Its by-products include large amounts of liquid fertilizer and inert material that can be used as a soil conditioner. Of interest to the Black Country is it’s potential for productively using domestic kitchen waste, commercial catering waste, food processing and abattoir wastes. Viability depends heavily upon charging gate prices for the biodegradable material and securing a market for the by-products.
This approach could be of particular interest to urban waste authorities as they strive to meet the governments target to recycle or compost 30% of household waste by 2010. It’s estimated that there’s some 410,000 households in the Black Country producing 80,000 tonnes of kitchen waste each year. A similar amount comes from commercial catering, and probably 240,000 tonnes from food processing and abattoirs. So with 400,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste available locally each year in the Black Country, the supply of raw materials shouldn’t be too much of a problem!
If all of this were converted to biogas in the Black Country it would produce savings of 60,000 tonnes CO2 from electricity generated and 75,000 tonnes CO2 from usable heat – that’s if the methane is used to fuel combined heat and power plants (CHP). Clearly the realistic potential is a fraction of this maximum potential. But it’s a technology that needs to be explored for its viability and suitability for siting within or adjoining the Black Country. The first functioning example of this type of power station that started operating in 2004 just outside Leicester. It’s being fed with 40,000 tonnes of Leicester City’s refuse and is capable of generating 1.5 MW, producing something like 10,000 tonnes of CO2 savings each year.
Key Messages
The 20th Century era produced houses, buildings, a transport system and manufacturing and service sector practices and lifestyles that relied upon an abundance of relatively cheap power based on fossil fuels. All of these sectors will have to steadily change if the Black Country wants to continue functioning, with people being healthy, contented and prosperous, using dramatically less energy from fossil and nuclear fuels and relying more on energy from renewable sources.
It’s important for the local economy that households, businesses and the public sector don’t waste money on energy that they can do without. As it stands, each fuel bill that is paid leads to money leaking out elsewhere and doesn’t circulate in the local Black Country economy. It also damages the bottom line profitability of the enterprises that we depend upon for our
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prosperity. For the future, it’s important to reduce overall spend on fuel bills and aim to deliver energy more locally, so that the Black Country economy and communities share in the energy sector’s profits.
In equipping the Black Country for the new era for energy there are thousands of new jobs on offer for those who get involved in making existing and new buildings more energy efficient. The renewable energy sector also offers people jobs and the prospect of new money flowing around the local, more self-reliant economy.
Policy Direction
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: HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT
Characteristics
Introduction The historic environment assets of the Black Country are extremely diverse and of value at an international, national, regional and local level. They include both natural and built features, and range from historic buildings and other man made structures (e.g. canals), archaeological remains, and parks and gardens, to historic landscapes and townscapes. In addition to designated assets (e.g. Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments, Conservation Areas, Registered Parks and Gardens), the Black Country’s historic environment encompasses a wealth of non-designated features of local heritage value and interest which make a vital contribution to the character, distinctiveness and quality of place of the sub-region’s towns, open spaces and urban/rural fringe.
Increasing knowledge and appreciation of the historic environment has underlined the significance of the matrix of our history as well as its individually important components. This is reflected in the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), which states that whilst the Region’s most valuable historic heritage is protected by statutory designations it is vital to consider historic landscapes and townscapes as a whole in order to understand what gives an area its sense of place and identity (paragraphs 8.3; 8.19; QE5; QE6). This holistic approach is critical for conserving and enhancing the Black Country’s wealth of historic features, whether designated or not, and for ensuring that the distinctive characteristics of the sub-region’s settlements are safeguarded and strengthened.
Industrial Heritage The Black County has a rich industrial heritage which continues to have a strong imprint on the present day form and character of the area as well as its future regeneration (e.g. Soho Foundry; Stourbridge glass industry; Wolverhampton car industry; Walsall leather industry). At a local, regional and even national level, the industrial heritage of the Black Country is a key factor in underpinning the unique identity and distinctiveness of the area. Although the legacy of the area’s industrial development has often been viewed from a negative perspective (e.g. contaminated land), it is vital that the industrial heritage of the Black Country is positively promoted in terms of its intrinsic historic value as well as its wider contribution to local identity, sense of place, and strong cultural associations. The industrial past can also work for the future development of the Black Country by maintaining a tangible link to its image for innovation and inventiveness and contributing towards the sub-region’s tourism economy (e.g. paragraph 3.11 (a) and Policy PA10 of the RSS).
In addition to this chapter, other relevant themes within the scope of the historic environment are addressed in more detail under the chapters on canals and urban design. The historic environment is also a fundamental component of the Black Country’s cultural resources.
Significance of the Resource
The historic environment is essentially a finite resource – it cannot be recreated once lost, and is hence a key consideration in delivering sustainable development.
The Black Country has a wealth of historic environment assets (e.g. buildings, archaeological sites and remains, parks and gardens) designated as of national importance. However, only a very small proportion of the area’s overall historic environment resource is subject to statutory designations. Non designated features represent the vast majority of the resource and also comprise what the majority of people have contact with as part of daily life – whether at home, work or leisure.
The historic environment is fundamental to defining and helping to understand the wider character of the Black Country – its townscapes, green corridors and networks, and the urban/rural fringe. Indeed many of the former industrial landscapes of the Black Country (e.g. disused quarries, spoil heaps) now form part of the area’s green space network and are of
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nature conservation interest as well as of value for their links to the Black Country’s industrial past.
Beyond its intrinsic value, the historic environment can contribute to the delivery of wider economic, social and environmental objectives. With respect to the economy, the historic environment can help to underpin, sustain, add value to and act as a catalyst for mainstream regeneration activities in addition to its role as a key component of the tourism economy. The creative re-use of historic buildings for commercial, residential and recreational/leisure uses, provides one example of the dynamic nature of the historic environment and its ability to adapt and evolve to meet changing needs and aspirations [e.g. Albion Mill in Wolverhampton]. The adaptation and re-use of the historic building stock can also help to deliver wider sustainability benefits, as well as potential cost savings, when compared to new build options. More generally the historic environment is a key component of the quality of the environment – (quality of place) – and hence a contributory factor in helping to retain and attract inward investment to the Black Country.
The historic environment can secure wider social objectives through providing the initial spur and focus for community engagement and participation. It can further help to engender and strengthen community cohesion and social inclusion via a strengthened sense of belonging/place, local identity and distinctiveness, and civic pride [each of direct relevance to the objective of quality of place]. There are also other quality of life benefits such as providing an educational resource for life long learning, leisure, recreation, and cultural provision – all essential components of a sustainable communities.
The significance and importance of protecting and enhancing the historic environment is underlined in a suite of European Regulations and national policy guidance and statements, including:
Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development (ODPM, 2005) Planning Policy Guidance 15: Planning and the Historic Environment (1994) Planning Policy Guidance 16: Archaeology and Planning (1990) Better Places to Live: Government, Identity and the Value of the Historic and Built Environment (DCMS, 2005) The Historic Environment: A Force For Our Future (DCMS, 2001)
Key Messages
The Black Country has a wealth of historic environment assets (including its industrial heritage and canal network). The historic environment in its broadest sense has the potential to make a lasting and sustainable contribution to delivering the Black Country’s economic regeneration and quality of life objectives. Awareness and understanding of the sub region’s historic environment and its economic, social and environmental benefits needs to be strengthened across all sectors and stakeholders to fully capitalise on this potential.
Designated buildings, features, sites, and areas only represent a small proportion of the Black Country’s historic environment resource. Non designated aspects of the historic environment must also be taken into account and safeguarded wherever possible, due to their local heritage value and their contribution to the character and distinctiveness of the Black Country’s towns and open spaces.
The Black Country’s historic environment extends beyond individual sites and features to its historic landscapes and townscapes. These must be considered as a whole in order to understand what gives the Black Country its sense of place and identity. The Black Country has a number of completed and ongoing historic landscape characterisation projects and related pilot studies which offer a framework to better understand the historic character of the Black Country’s landscapes/townscapes, assess their capacity for change, and inform decisions regarding their conservation, re-use, renewal, management and long term enhancement. The work of these initiatives must inform the transformation
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of the Black Country’s environment, including the concept of the ‘Black Country as Urban Park’.
More detailed characterisation studies of the historic environment will be required to support and supplement the overarching framework established by the on-going Black Country Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC) project. The findings of these more detailed studies should inform the planning and design process with respect to site allocations, masterplans, development briefs, design codes and funding submissions. Good practice on the practical application of characterisation techniques and community engagement, should be shared and promoted across the Black Country.
Community engagement at an early stage in the planning and design process is vital for understanding what people view and value as their ‘everyday’ heritage, and to inform what aspects should be conserved and enhanced.
The historic environment is an irreplaceable asset – once lost it cannot be replaced. Protecting and enhancing the historic environment, and landscape and townscape character, is fundamental to delivering sustainable development [PPS1 (para.27)]. Future change across the Black Country will hence require a robust policy framework and delivery mechanisms to identify, protect, manage, and secure the long term enhancement of the sub region’s historic environment.
There are inextricable links between the Black Country’s historic and natural environment. A holistic and integrated approach is hence vital in working towards the aspiration for a high quality environment and ‘quality of place’.
The land use changes involved in transforming the Black Country’s economy and environment must be based on a thorough understanding of: the historic environment and its significance; the potential impact of the proposed changes on this value and significance; and the views of all relevant stakeholders. As part of this process it is vital that the opportunities presented by the historic environment are fully explored, as for example conservation-led regeneration and the reuse/repair of the historic building stock. Opportunities for enhancing the management and maintenance of the Black Country’s heritage resource should also be maximised, as for example through the preparation of management plans.
Baseline information on the Black Country’s historic environment resource is incomplete, particularly with respect to archaeology. Further surveys and studies linked to area and site based initiatives will be necessary to supplement and update existing data sources.
The protection and enhancement of the Black Country’s historic environment and achieving high quality design in new development are mutually reinforcing. Good design requires an understanding of the local context and should to seek create or reinforce local distinctiveness as well as integrate new development into its wider context. The historic environment is critical to all these aspects, whilst high quality design will ultimately contribute to the Black Country’s historic environment of the future.
Policy Direction
To underpin the Black Country Study and its implementation, a framework of general principles and procedures on the historic environment should be adopted to ensure an integrated, holistic and consistent approach to the historic environment. These should be used to help guide policy formulation and the delivery and implementation of projects. A draft set of general principles is appended. The headline statements underline the importance of:
o using a broad definition of the historic environment; o adopting a landscape-scale perspective; o promoting increased understanding, awareness and enjoyment of the historic environment;
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o embedding the historic environment into the delivery of economic objectives; o recognising the potential of the historic environment as a key component of sustainable communities and quality of life; o managing change at all levels on an informed basis and in accordance with good practice procedures.
The core strategy for each Black Country authority should incorporate a clear set of objectives and core policy references on the need to protect, conserve and enhance the historic environment. This should draw on the existing RSS policy framework and historic environment policies set out in the unitary development plans as well as reflect the general principles set out above. More detailed policy guidance for designated and non designated aspects of the historic environment should be set out in other supporting development plan documents (e.g. general development control policies) and Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) (e.g. detailed design issues). Consideration should also be given to the preparation of Area Action Plans for areas of conservation – as for example the Black Country’s historic town centres or areas of major industrial archaeological interest. Subject to the latest Government advice and practice, Supplementary Planning Documents could be used to detail conservation area policies for major or complex conservation areas, or to produce a conservation area policy SPD covering part or all of a local authority’s district, if this is appropriate. Such SPD should be supported by published character appraisals which define the specific character that is to be preserved and enhanced and proposed management strategies for the individual conservation areas concerned.
The use of characterisation tools should be used to inform decision-making within the planning and design process at all levels (e.g site allocations, masterplans, development briefs, design codes) across the Black Country. Within the overarching framework established by the Black Country Historic Landscape Characterisation project, more detailed characterisation studies (such as the Wolverhampton ABCD project, and Sandwell HMRA Study) should be required to inform area action plans and/or supplementary planning documents for all areas undergoing regeneration, renewal and enhancement; and in support of planning applications for all major development sites. This commitment to the use of characterisation tools and the requirement for more detailed studies should be set out as a distinct policy in each of the councils’ Local Development Frameworks.
A comprehensive set of indicators and targets for the historic environment should be established and monitored in a consistent way across the Black Country.
In addition to a robust policy framework for the protection, conservation and enhancement of the historic environment, policy references to the historic environment should be integrated with other relevant sector areas (e.g. housing, economy, centres, culture, design, biodiversity).
In delivering future requirements for housing and employment land provision, and commercial services, the reuse and adaptation of the Black Country’s existing building stock should be supported (in addition to new build), particularly where it is of historic or architectural significance, distinctive and valued by the local community.
The improved maintenance and management of the Black Country’s historic environment resource should be encouraged through policies in the local development frameworks (as for example requiring the preparation of management plans) and through associated delivery mechanisms (e.g. s106 agreements) and other statutory powers, such as enforcement provisions.
Access to and training on the scope, sourcing and use of information on the historic environment (e.g. Historic Environment Records, Historic Landscape Characterisation) needs to be widened and made more available to all stakeholders involved in the planning, design and implementation of the development process.
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GUIDING PRINCIPLES – (DRAFT AUGUST 2005)
1. Use a broad definition of the historic environment
Encompassing: Designated and non-designated features, areas, archaeological remains, and landscapes Natural and built components Aspects valued by local communities
2. Adopt a landscape-scale perspective
In terms of: Placing heritage sites and features in their landscape context Recognising the contribution of the historic environment to the character of landscapes and townscapes Using character-based approaches (e.g. historic landscape characterisation) at an appropriate level in urban, urban/rural fringe and rural areas to inform decision-making, and as a priority for all areas subject to significant change
3. Promote increased understanding, awareness and enjoyment of the historic environment
By: Engaging with the community and wider stakeholders at the earliest stage in the planning and design process Exploring opportunities for greater physical and intellectual access Providing public interpretation and facilitating access to other information resources Maximising opportunities for education and life long learning
4. Embed the historic environment into the delivery of economic objectives
By: Using historic buildings, features and areas to underpin, enhance and add value to economic regeneration activities at all levels through their re-use, renewal and improved management Strengthening the contribution of heritage to the Black Country’s tourism (visitor) economy Reinforcing the role of the historic environment as an important component of the Black Country’s rich cultural resource Using the unique cultural heritage of the sub-region as a positive tool for promoting the sub-region at a regional, national and international level
5. Recognise the potential of the historic environment as a key component of sustainable communities and quality of life
Through: Contributing to local character and distinctiveness Reinforcing a sense of identity and place Strengthening, and where necessary rebuilding, cultural and spiritual associations Acting as a focus for civic pride Providing a focal point for engaging the community, and through this helping to build their confidence, trust, sustained involvement Offering a varied educational resource
6. Manage change at all levels on an informed basis and in accordance with good practice procedures
Requiring in all cases:
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a thorough understanding of the historic environment and its significance (national, regional, sub-regional and local) through, for example, maintenance of Historic Environment Records (HERs) and use of historic landscape characterisation a robust assessment of the potential impacts of the proposed change on the value and significance of the historic environment, including potential impacts on the character of the landscape/townscape taking account of the views of all relevant stakeholders, this including discussions with local authority conservation and archaeological officers, and English Heritage at the earliest opportunity a comprehensive programme of mitigation measures, where loss or damage cannot be avoided, this including a recording strategy at an appropriate level to preserve a record of the historic environment integrating enhancement opportunities, such as improved maintenance, management, and interpretation of the historic environment
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: CANALS
Characteristics
Introduction
The Black Country canals include a fascinating network of junctions and branches. Many of the canals are part of or adjacent to conservation areas and many of the sub-regions main visitor attractions are either located adjacent to or not too far away from a canal. There is a wealth of features which will interest canal enthusiasts and industrial archaeologists: locks, bridges and warehouses all give a hint of the important role the Black Country played in the sub-regions past. The Canals enabled the development of communities and as such play a pivotal role in creating and retaining the Black Country’s local distinctiveness.
However, the Canals within the Black Country are not just a link to our Industrial past. They provide a green corridor within a predominantly urban landscape, are often designated as linear open space, have inherent wildlife value, and provide opportunities for biodiversity and leisure.
Canals are a key asset to the sub-region, linking heritage, culture and recreation, the visitor economy and environment. They are also a key asset in terms of development/regeneration with many canal side locations acting as valuable locations for redevelopment, especially for housing and leisure.
However, it is vital that an holistic approach is taken when defining how the canals and historic environment can support the implementation of the Black Country Study and the Black Country Vision. The emerging management plan related to the World Heritage Bid aspiration for the Black Country Canal network will be a key document in ensuring that the aims and objectives of the Black Country Study and the renaissance of the Black Country are realised.
Significance of Resource / Asset for Black Country
The Black Country Canal network provides an important insight into the Black Country’s rich industrial heritage, attracts visitors and provides a network of green open spaces. The Canal network is also becoming a focal point for inward investment and raising the profile of the Black Country through the World Heritage Aspiration for the network.
Much partnership working has taken place over the last 10 years with large investments resulting in more community and visitor interaction with canal improvements.
“The 130 miles of canals that make up the Birmingham and Black Country Canal Network (Birmingham Canal Navigations) are some of the most historically and culturally significant canals within the UK. They represent the driving force which enabled the Black Country to play such a pioneering role in the development of the Industrial Revolution.
Whilst the landscape of the Black Country has seen major transformation over the last 200 years, a major part of the Birmingham Canal Navigations has remained intact providing a network of arteries linking towns, industry and communities together. (Black Country Canals Tourism and Interpretation Strategy)
Canals were originally built to move freight and although this use has declined, in future there is potential that freight may become increasingly important again.
The canal network provides a very valuable ecological resource with green corridors forming intrinsic linkages across the Black Country, which form a crucial part of the Quality of Life of the Black Country.
Further work is now being undertaken as part of the World Heritage Bid Aspiration to ascertain the significance of the canal network to the Black Country – not only in the past, but
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for today as well. A Draft Statement of Significance is being prepared which will support the World Heritage Bid application process. It will also provide a baseline for developing the management plan for the network – a key element of the World Heritage Aspiration as well as the Black Country Study and the Local Development Frameworks.
Key Issues
There are a number of key issues that will need to be addressed if the Canal network within the Black Country is to realise its potential. A number of those identified are outside the scope of the Black Country Study, however should be assisted through the Study’s development framework. We need to address the following issues;
Anti-Social Behaviour – real and perceived across the network Feeling of being un-safe The need to ‘Open up’ the canals to provide more visibility – both for communities to see how close the canal is to them and to create a safer environment Greater access – physically and culturally Welcoming/Fit for Purpose Honey pot’ developments Low levels of maintenance on land directly adjoining the canal or the towpath adding to feeling of being unsafe. Condition of frontages onto canals which may detract from a positive image
The initial work on the World Heritage Bid for the Black Country Canal Network has raised a number issues relating to the need to retain the canalside buildings so as to ensure that the local distinctiveness and the ‘universal significance’ of the Black Country Canal network is retained.
There is considerable pressure on the re-use or demolition of existing buildings to bring back ‘life’ to the canalside. Although this is supported, it must be done whilst not damaging or destroying the very features and assets that make the canal network inherently valuable and so attractive.
Policy Direction
The Government is keen to see the canals maintained and developed in a sustainable manner so that they fulfil their full economic, social and environmental potential.
British Waterways, the Statutory body for maintaining the canals and waterways , has stated that the canal network ‘ will be regarded as one of the nation’s most important and valued national assets, and that visitors will be delighted with the quality of the experience and as a consequence many will become active participants’.
‘The property and land surrounding our inland waterways are an important part of maintaining an attractive and vibrant network, they offer opportunities for us to participate in urban and rural regeneration projects and provide a crucial income source’. Therefore, British Waterways will be ensuring that future developments support their policy for sustainable development and realising the potential for regeneration.
British Waterways have produced their Vision for the next 10 years;
“Our ambition is that by 2012 we will have created an expanded, vibrant, largely self- sufficient waterway network used by twice as many people as in 2002. It will be regarded as one of the nation's most important and valued national assets. Visitors will be delighted with the quality of the experience and as a consequence many will become active participants.”
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The four Black Country Local Authorities currently have existing guidelines relating to canalside developments to protect and enhance the canal environment. These are detailed in either their local canal strategy or detailed planning guidance as part of the Unitary Development Plans These should be taken forward within the new Local Development Frameworks. In addition, much of the canal is included in Conservation Areas as designated by the four Black Country Local Authorities. These plans will provide a baseline and guidance for potential development sites.
A number of sub-regional strategies and programmes have been developed to ensure the sustainable development of the canal network within the Black Country. The Black Country Canals Tourism and Interpretation Strategy, provides a framework for the development of the canal network which meets the aims and objectives of both British Waterways and the Local Authorities, in addition to providing guidelines on future development. Canals are included as a Habitat Action Plan in the Birmingham and Black Country Biodiversity Action Plan. Key national agencies, such as English Nature and English Heritage, provide an additional framework for the sustainable development of the canal network. Linkages with policies relating to the natural and historic environment housing and economic development should work together to ensure that the assets which make the Black Country distinctive are not lost forever.
The major policy direction however for the Black Country Canal network will be embedded within the Black Country Canals Management Plan, an integral element of the World Heritage Aspiration work.
The Management Plan, will integrate the aspirations of all of the Strategies and policies relating to the network as well as providing a vehicle to develop and implement the framework as set out in the Black Country Study. The Management Plan will ensure that the integrity of network and its local distinctiveness is maintained while ensuring that there is an agreed process for the conservation and sustainable development of the network.
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: OPEN SPACE
Characteristics
As we have become a more urbanised society the separation between our built environment and the ‘natural environment’ has become marked. The Black Country has been affected by urbanisation and this has impacted upon its image and it is now viewed as a ‘grey industrial area’ that is unattractive to live and work in. This has had an impact upon the Black Country as it has deterred many investors from locating within the area. In reality, its built environment may dominate the Black Country but it does also have many areas of open space, which provide an opportunity for many people to experience recreation and nature close at hand. These open spaces are situated on former industrial/mineral sites, along valleys, disused railway lines, along canals and on the Black Country’s hills.
Although there are many areas of open space they are not evenly distributed around the Black Country, Wolverhampton having the least amount of spaces. There are also issues with some of the current areas of open space, some are often not accessible to the public and so are lost as a resource. Some, due to poor maintenance, have resulted in areas that attract anti social behaviour and remain underused. Others are hidden and some of those that aren’t may be visually unattractive. This means that there is a need to understand how many open spaces there are and also to ascertain the quality of the spaces.
The Black Country has much open space and it comprises a variety of types, from Local Nature Reserve’s (places with wildlife or geological features that are of special interest locally) to school playing fields. Much of the open space is on former industrial / mineral sites and some sites comprise contaminated land. This has given the Black Country a rich heritage and has resulted in a wealth of geodiversity and a rich biodiversity.
Today we are not capitalising on these landscape assets and the challenge is to bring our environmental assets back into full use.
Significance of Resource / Asset for Black Country
Open spaces are important for our quality of life. They provide a setting within which people are able to interact and support both personal and community well-being. They allow interaction with the natural environment, which is important for those living in urban areas.
Social Value Well managed and maintained open spaces are the key to engendering community pride and providing opportunities for local people to become involved in caring for their own environment.
Well designed spaces can reduce opportunities for crime and the fear of crime.
Open spaces provide opportunities for sport and recreation, ultimately promoting more active and healthy lifestyles, and provide opportunities for environmental education for local schools and other groups.
Environmental Value As well as its obvious aesthetic value, open space also helps to define the character and identity of an area or settlement.
Well designed green space networks can help to encourage people to travel safely on foot and cycle and allow less able people to use the range of open space facilities.
Green networks and corridors linking spaces also promote biodiversity and enable movement of wildlife.
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Tree planting will help to control air and water pollution and contribute to energy reduction by providing shelter.
Economic Value Well-designed and managed open spaces can substantially improve the image of areas, making them more attractive to potential investors and encouraging more people to want to live in an area. Good quality spaces around retail and leisure developments will also be more attractive to users and customers.
Topography, Geology & Biodiversity Open spaces within the Black Country have a distinctive topography and geology. Many of the open spaces are the result of the extractive industry and support a wide range of habitats and species, and are also of heritage value.
The open spaces in the Black Country are many and varied due to the topography (hills and valleys), and include the watershed between the Trent and Severn river catchment systems separated by the steep and distinctive Rowley ridge, together with the encirclement of hills to the north from the Tettenhall Ridge through Bushbury to Barr Beacon in the east.
Designations Many of our open spaces are of particular nature conservation value, contributing to a system of vital habitats, they represent the best examples of habitat types, wildlife variety and geological features. Their protection is therefore essential. The Black Country habitats are protected by a hierarchy of designations which include: Sites of Special Scientific Interest - these are the country's very best wildlife and geological sites and they include some of our most spectacular and beautiful habitats Local Nature Reserves - these are important areas for wildlife and geological features that are of special interest locally, which give local people, special opportunities to study and learn about them or simply enjoy and have contact with nature. They have been specially protected and have a legal status Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation – these are sites which are often well established and are of particular value, contributing to a system of vital habitats throughout the West Midlands and beyond Sites of Local Importance for Nature Conservation – these are sites which are of particular value within a Local Authority
Key Messages
The Black Country needs to promote its open spaces as places that people will want to visit not just from the sub-region but from across the Country. Increasingly the Green Flag Award scheme is the way forward for parks and green spaces to show that they are places people will want to visit. The Green Flag Award is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. It was started in 1996 by the Civic Trust as a means of recognising and rewarding the best green spaces in the country. Winning a Green Flag Award brings excellent publicity. Both the media and the public are becoming increasingly aware that a site flying a Green Flag is a high quality green space. Awards are given on an annual basis and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag status. Only Haden Hill Park and Corngreaves Nature Reserve in Sandwell have Green Flag Award status. If the Black Country wishes to promote its open spaces and parks it needs to have many more spaces of Green Flag Award standard.
All of the Black Country Authorities recognise the importance of the open space network that currently exists in the area. As well as supporting wildlife the network is used for many activities such as walking, cycling horse riding, bird watching and children’s play. Open space networks also have high educational value and are used across the area for guided walks and other awareness raising events. Often for people with no access to open countryside the open space network provides a chance to experience nature on a daily basis perhaps on the way to school or their place of work. It is important that these networks that provide valuable opportunities for contact with nature and open space continue to be protected and maintained
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and improved for the valuable use that they provide. To enable the promotion of “networks” a Black Country Open Space Strategy could be produced that is similar to the Black Country Nature Conservation Strategy and could be run by a sub-regional body or a body prepared to help in partnership at a sub-regional level.
For many years open spaces have been neglected due to a lack of resources and funding. To insure that open spaces are improved and maintained to a higher standard in the future it is important that more funding is put in place both from internal sources where possible and external bodies. Also as important as more investment is that long term management plans are put in to place to ensure that improvements are carried out.
When properly designed, public spaces can bring together communities, provide meeting places and help to secure community ties that often have disappeared from urban areas. Producing design guidelines is therefore essential to ensure that new and existing open spaces are properly designed.
Policy Direction
Future policy should build on existing RPG and local policies and be directed by the key messages emerging from this report, so that open spaces are protected, enhanced and maintained. The direction of policies therefore should be:
To establish policies that will aid the protection of designated sites of interest from development.
To emphasise the importance of improving the image of the Black Country, to attract investment and to enhance the lives of the existing residents.
To ensure that policies are informed by the findings of the open space audits and assessments carried out by each of the Local Authorities. This could be carried out in such a way that the data collected could be comparable between the four local authorities. However Sandwell MBC is nearing the end of its audit, therefore it will be for each borough to align itself with Sandwell, if it wishes to be comparable on a Black Countrywide basis. The audits should, in line with PPG17, also take account of facilities available just outside the local Authority boundary.
To creating design guidelines to inform the design of new open spaces and enhance existing sites.
To emphasise the importance of establishing and building upon the existing network of open spaces.
To encourage public participation in protecting designated sites.
To encourage people to use and look after open spaces.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT MAY BE REQUIRED
The key to good open spaces is maintenance, keeping them clean, tidy and safe places to visit. Additional resources will need to be directed towards placing more people into open spaces such as park keepers and wardens to ensure they are maintained to a high standard. The presence of on site staff and an absence of indications of neglect (eg. glass in play areas) are essential if people are going feel safe and secure enough to increase their use of open spaces.
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Carrying out audits of quality and quantity are an essential monitoring tool in planning positively and effectively to ensure that there is an adequate supply of open spaces to meet the needs of the local communities and visitors. Audits should be carried out on a Borough wide basis, as each authority will have differing issues to address in terms of the types of open spaces they have and the areas of deficiency that they need to examine.
Use of S106 agreements to improve existing and provide new areas of open space. Given the unprecedented scale of housing development predicted, there is massive scope to create new open spaces / facilities and improve existing open space / facilities through S106’s. There is also scope to use our individual open space audit / assessments to specify exactly what type we need and where, this information can also be included in the proposed design guidelines.
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: URBAN DESIGN
Urban Design must not be compartmentalised. It is far reaching and draws together the many strands of place making, environmental responsibility, social equity and economic viability. It is about creating a vision for an area then deploying skills and resources to realise that vision. It should be noted that Urban Design should hook into each of the topic areas for the study to be truly successful.
Black Country and Birmingham Urban Design Forum 2004
Characteristics
There are many opportunities for achieving a high quality of environment in the Black Country. It has a distinctive topography and geology which has helped to shape the Black Country. However the sub region we see today is epitomised to a large extent by its built environment rather than its natural environment and landscape. The physical separation between the old industrial towns has been lost producing the perception of a homogeneous built up area with little sense of distinction between one town or another. In addition population is more dispersed and accessibility to jobs has got worse. This is in contrast to the aerial view of the Black Country which appears green with lots of open spaces. However many of these spaces are not publicly accessible and are not visually stimulating. As a consequence the prevailing image is of a grey indistinctive “ dour “ sub region. Many of its physical assets have been lost from the hearts and minds of those who live and work there and those who visit.
. The need for a radical change of the Black Country environment has therefore been identified as being critical to delivering the Black Country vision. One of the key objectives of the Black Country Study is therefore to create a high quality environment in the Black Country by establishing quality of place – bringing together a number of factors including the natural and built environment, the built heritage and environmental sustainability.
The Black Country “ park “ concept has been formulated to address these issues – by improving its image, contributing to regeneration, linking settlements, highlighting variety of topography, and raising design standards.
Significance of Resource / Asset for Black Country
The need for radical land use change in the Black Country to achieve the renaissance provides the opportunity to raise environmental quality – a high quality environment is seen as the key driver of change necessary to achieve the Black Country vision. These conclusions have reinforced the aspirations of the Black Country Consortium and have been set out as part of the radical 30 year vision..
Key Messages
Lovejoy was appointed to undertake a conceptual design study for the Black Country with its focus “ to define an exciting concept for a new park to envelop the urban areas of the Black Country while both symbolising and supporting the achievement of its members and their very ambitious plans for the revitalisation of their conurbation.
The brief for the study was clear – the product should identify the key component of the physical / visual form which enhances the topographical features of the Black Country – joining it together physically yet distinguishing its towns and communities, and create a distinctive “feel good quality” forming a nationally recognised renaissance achievement.
Design principles have emerged which represent the starting point of the design concept –
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Restore the qualities which made the Black Country great Create a powerful unique visual code st Continue to raise the vision beyond the immediate to embrace 21 century culture and knowledge Connect and emphasise the hidden gems
The design concept was developed into an assessment of the Black Country in terms of –
Within – identifying the need to accentuate the communities within the Black Country building on unique characters to reveal the value of distinctiveness
Above – utilise the dramatic and varied topography within the black country to encourage the area to look above and be aware of its extent and the inter relationship it has with its local centres
Below – to re interpret the legacy of history to emphasise physical and symbolic connections within the Black Country via its corridors ( canal/rail/road/valley/ridges )
Beyond – to illuminate beacons to encourage the Black Country to connect to the future
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: WASTE / RECYCLING
Characteristics
The general perception of waste is the weekly collection of wheelie bins or black bags from the doorsteps but household waste, or technically municipal solid waste (MSW), only accounts for about 15 – 17% of arisings in the West Midlands region, and even less in a heavily industrialised and urban area such as the Black Country. The largest quantity of waste is generated by the construction and demolition activity in the region, followed by commercial and industrial activity
Key Messages
The provision of both on-site and off-site facilities for the recycling and recovery of construction and demolition material and the processing of contaminated soils could be a critical element in the delivery of the Urban Renaissance policy area both for housing and employment. There is virtually no land within the Black Country which has not been used for built development or for the disposal of by products from industry. Whilst not seen as a high tech industry which fits within the new image for the economic regeneration of the sub-region without the construction and demolition recycling sites the sustainable redevelopment will not take place and the targets for housing and employment will not be achieved.
The reclamation of contaminated land both on-site and off-site requires skilled operators and trained chemists to identify the contaminants and to manage the reclamation process. The innovative engineering skills in the West Midlands region already play a role in the development of new technologies and plant and equipment to treat and handle waste. AWM has also identified Environmental Technologies as one of the key employment clusters for the West Midlands which it is supporting and wishes to develop. Both these factors have the potential to create higher value skilled jobs which will help achieve the key policy objectives of the Black Country Consortium:
to stop the net-out migration from the Black Country – to plan for population growth;
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to raise Black Country income levels;
to accommodate more people with higher skills – to bring the social and economic mix of the people living in the Black Country in line with England as a whole; and
To transform the environment, to protect and enhance the environment – to create safe, attractive and healthy places to live and work
Policy Direction
The work on the Black Country Study for the achievement of the Urban Renaissance programme in the RSS identifies some of the best opportunities for quality residential communities as being on these communication corridors and adjacent to the canal network. It also promotes the benefits of land assembly by public sector bodies for demonstration projects as a means of making early wins in the delivery of the programme. The relocation of some of the visually prominent recycling sites could be part of the demonstration projects if alternative sites for the existing recycling and recovery activities could be assembled and made available.
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: WATER
Characteristics
The Black Country is at the headwaters of two major rivers. To the South West of the Region the water flows into the River Severn via the River Stour, while to the North East of the sub region the River Tame carries water down stream to the River Trent.
Many of the rivers, particularly in the River Tame catchment are culverted or in concrete channels through the urban areas. The flood plain in the Black Country is generally narrow and well defined.
The Black Country falls within two of Severn Trent's water resource zones with the supply coming from the Elan valley and the River Severn. A further proportion of water comes from the South Staffordshire Water's resource zone.
Water quality in the Black Country is improving due to a mixture of water company investment, pollution prevention measures and a reduction in heavy industry. Until the mid- 1990s most of the River Stour was classed as having poor chemical quality, but now is fair or good for most of its length. Water quality in the Upper Tame has improved but still remains poor. Water Quality in the Black Country has improved from 24.78% of fair or better quality in 1990 to 67.22% in the fair or better in 2003. The percentage classified bad quality has also shown a marked decrease from 15.65% to 2.04%. This is even better than the results for the Midlands as a whole, were the percentage of best quality rivers has doubled and the percentage of poorest quality rivers has almost halved since 1990.
Significance of Resource / Asset for Black Country
Making a step change in quality in the Black Country will require looking a fresh at the urban landscape. River and streams have for years been buried underground in the Black Country and are a forgotten asset. There is an opportunity through new development to remove culverted watercourses and return the stream to a more natural course. Houses can then be turned to face newly created rivers, giving much need green space for local people and local wildlife.
There are great opportunities to mainstream the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems. These surface water management techniques have multiple benefits including reduction in flood risk, diffuse pollution mitigation and aquifer recharge and provide opportunities for wildlife and recreation.
River corridors can act as a valuable resource for recreation purposes and support wider regeneration objectives. PPG17 highlights the need to improve quality of life for communities by providing plentiful and visually attractive green space close to where people live. This will support wider social and economic regeneration objectives.
The Tame Walkway is an initiative lead by the Environment Agency. The walkway links the headwaters of the River Tame to the River Trent and ultimately to the Humber estuary. The green corridor passes through Walsall and Sandwell proving a new safe non-motorised transport route and increasing access to open green space.
Key Messages
Both of Severn Trent's resource zones are in deficit for a dry year and the company plans to develop resources and enhance treatment works during the next five years to meet its supply demand balance. Any planned increase in housing numbers on top of current building allocation will put extra pressure on water resources and this information needs to be fed into water company and Environment Agency water resource plans.
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The flood plain in the Black Country is generally narrow and well defined. The high proportion of impermeable ground and high numbers of culverts however makes the risk of localised and sewer flood a potential problem. The SMURF (Sustainable Management of Urban Rivers and Floodplains) provides a proven methodology to manage surface water run-off issues and this has been successfully used in the Section the River Tame in Birmingham.
There are a large number of rivers hidden in culverts in the Black Country. New development should take the opportunity to open up culverts and put watercourses back to a more natural state. Including rivers and lakes in new development can have economic, social and environmental benefits. House prices are often higher, flood risk is reduced and there added green space for people and wildlife.
Climate change will make extreme weather events such as flooding more likely in the future. All new development should be built with appropriate protection for any future changes.
There are ongoing water quality improvement schemes in the Black Country as part of the Water Company Assessment Management Plan funded through the recent price review (PR04). Water quality has improved in the Black Country, particularly in the River Stour in last 10 years. If there is a significant increase in housing number in the Black Country there may need to be extra investment in sewerage and sewage treatment facilities in the Black Country. Water Companies need to be made aware of the potential for new infrastructure so that strategic options can be considered and properly timetabled.
Diffuse pollution from hard surface such as roads, yards and car parks is the now main cause of poor water quality rivers in the Black Country. Sustainable Drainage Systems are one of the few means of tackling diffuse urban pollution. There are particular problems with the water quality in canals linked to contaminated sediment, slow flow, eutrophication and boat traffic. Improving water quality needs to be matched by improvements to river setting so that the benefits to people and wildlife can be fully realised
The EU Water Framework Directive requires all water bodies to have "good ecological status" within a specified timescales. The improvement in the quality or status of water bodies will be achieved through the development and implementation of River Basin Management Plans (RBMP's). The river basin planning process takes place on a 6-year cycle, with the first plan to be published by 2009. The River Tame in the Black Country will be in the Greater Humber RBMP and the River Stour will be in the Greater Severn RBMP. All water bodies will need to meet good ecological status, but there will be lesser standards for rivers that are in the heavily modified category. Many of the rivers in the Black Country are likely to fall into this category. The planning system has been identified as a way of implementing changes that benefit the water environment. There needs to be a co-ordination between the development of the river basin management plans and relevant planning policy in the Black Country.
The river corridor can help to enhance local quality by providing valuable open space in line with PPG17.
Policy Direction
The LDF's of all 4 Districts to contain a policy to require a 25% reduction in water use over the current level in all new developments.
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The Black Country consortium to set up a water infrastructure group to consider the implication of increased housing numbers on water supply and waste water treatment in the Black Country
The LDFs for all 4 districts to contain policies requiring the use of SUDS where practical.
A Black country wide policy agreed by the district councils, developers and other parities on how to manage the maintenance of SUDS schemes in the longer term
The LDF for all 4 Black Country Districts to contain a policy supporting the appropriate removal of culverts or brick or concrete channels and opening up water courses.
The LDF of the 4 District to contain policies on the maintenance and access of existing and newly created river side areas.
A policy in the LDF documents of the 4 districts to require development to take an integrated approach to managing development that considers together the issues of contaminated land, flood risk, water quality and green space and uses current best practise.
A policy in LDF of the 4 districts on the use of section 106 agreement with developers for environmental enhancements to a development and environmental maintenance in the longer term
A policy in the LDFs of the 4 districts to ensure co-ordination with the appropriate River Basin management plans for the EU Water Framework Directive
The Black Country consortium to carry out a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment in the Black Country to help direct new development into areas at least river of flooding
The Black country Consortium to initiate a project to consider the implications of climate change on the Black Country in relation to the options in the draft strategy
The Black Country consortium to support the use of extending the SMURF (Sustainable Management of Urban Rivers and Floodplains) to the Upper Tame and the River Stour
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TECHNICAL APPENDICES
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AIR QUALITY Baselines
Standards for air pollution are concentrations over a given time period that are considered to be acceptable in the light of what is known about the effects of each pollutant on health and on the environment. They can also be used as a bench mark to see if air pollution is getting better or worse. An exceedence of a standard is a period of time (which is defined in each standard) where the concentration is higher than that set down by the standard. In order to make useful comparisons between pollutants, for which the standards may be expressed in terms of different averaging times, the number of days on which an exceedence has been recorded is often reported. An objective is the target date on which exceedences of a standard must not exceed a specified number. The objectives adopted in the UK are based on the Air Quality Regulations 2000 and (Amendment) Regulations 2002 for the purpose of Local Air Quality Management. These Air Quality Regulations have adopted into UK law the limit values required by EU Daughter Directives on Air Quality.
Summary of objectives of the National Air Quality Strategy
As used in regulations for Local Air Quality Management
Pollutant Objective Measured as To be achieved by Benzene 16.25 µg/m3 (5ppb) Running Annual Mean 31 December 2003
Benzene 5 µg/m3 Annual Mean 31 December 2010
1,3-Butadiene 2.25 µg/m3 (1ppb) Running Annual Mean 31 December 2003 Carbon 3 Maximum daily running 8 Hour monoxide 10.0 mg/m (8.6ppm) 31 December 2003 Mean
0.5 µg/m3 Annual Mean 31 December 2004 Lead 0.25 µg/m3 Annual Mean 31 December 2008 200 µg/m3 (105ppb) Not to be exceeded 1 Hour Mean 31 December 2005 Nitrogen more than 18 times dioxide a per year 40 µg/m3 (21ppb) Annual Mean 31 December 2005
Nitrogen 3 (V) 30 µg/m Annual Mean 31 December 2000 Oxides** b 50 µg/m3 Particles Not to be exceeded 24 Hour Mean 31 December 2004 (PM10) more than 35 times (gravimetric) c per year
40 µg/m3 Annual Mean 31 December 2004
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266 µg/m3 (100ppb) Not to be exceeded 15 Minute Mean 31 December 2005 more than 35 times per year 350 µg/m3 132ppb) Not to be exceeded 1 Hour Mean 31 December 2004 more than 24 times Sulphur per year dioxide 125 µg/m3 (47ppb) Not to be exceeded 24 Hour Mean 31 December 2004 more than 3 times per year (V) 20 µg/m3 b Annual Mean 31 December 2000
3 Winter Mean (01 October – 31 (V) 20 µg/m b 31 December 2000 March) Running 8 hour Mean 3 Daily maximum of running 8 hr Ozone * 100 µg/m 31 December 2005 mean not to be exceeded more than 10 times per year Notes:
a The objectives for nitrogen dioxide are provisional
b Not set in UK regulations
c Measured using the European gravimetric transfer sampler or equivalent.
µg/m3 – micrograms per cubic metre mg/m3 – milligrams per cubic metre ppb parts per billion
*Ozone is not included in the Regulations
** Assuming NOx is taken as NO2
(V) These standards are adopted for the protection of vegetation and ecosystems. All of the remainder are for the protection of human health.
Proposed particle objectives for England, Wales, Northern Ireland not included in Regulations To be achieved Objective Measured as by 50 µg/m3 not to be exceeded more than 7 times per 24-hour 31 December 2010 year Mean 20 µg/m3 Annual Mean 31 December 2010
The National Air Quality Strategy deals with eight pollutants that are all known to harm human health and which occur widely throughout the UK, caused mainly by vehicles and industry.
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They are: Pollutant Main sources Benzene Petrol vehicles 1,3-butadiene Road transport Carbon monoxide Petrol vehicles and industry Lead Petrol vehicles and industry Nitrogen dioxide Road transport and power generation Particles (PM10) Road transport, power generation and industry Sulphur dioxide Power generation and industry Ozone Secondary pollutant
Other potential pollutants monitored in the UK include Volatile Organic Compounds ( VOCs ), toxic air pollutants such as Poly aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Metals (Lead Pb, Cadmium Cd, Arsenic As, Nickel Ni & Mercury Hg).
The current systems for preventing and controlling emissions under The Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 and associated regulations are;
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) which is for the most potentially polluting industries. Part A(1) installations are Regulated by the Environment Agency, Part A(2) installations are regulated by Local Authorities.
Local Air Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC) which is for generally less polluting industries and is enforced only by Local Authorities and concerns emissions to air only.
Under The provisions of regulations made under the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 wide range of pollutants are monitored from Part A Installations permitted for control by The Environment Agency. The Part A Installations are the larger industrial processes such as chemical plants and incinerators etc.
Part A(2) and Part B installations are permitted by Local Authorities which are a wide range of smaller industries and include petrol stations, coating industries, ferrous and non ferrous metals industries, minerals, etc.
The main objectives of IPPC are:
To use the Best Available Techniques (BAT) in order to prevent or minimise the release of prescribed substances and to render harmless any such substances which are released.
To ensure consideration of releases from industrial processes to all media in the context of the effect on the environment as a whole
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Local Authority Pollution Prevention & Control (LAPPC)
Local Authority Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC), introduced by the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999, will soon have replaced LAPC. Prescribed processes will transfer into LAPPC over a phased timetable and will be known as Part B installations. These installations will remain subject to regulation of emissions to air.
The main aim of IPPC is to achieve: A high level of protection of the environment taken as a whole by, in particular, preventing or, where that is not practicable, reducing emissions into the air, water and land.
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) The legislation regulates emissions to air, water and land from certain industrial activities (A1 & A2 installations) subject to IPPC, which was introduced by the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999. In order to protect the environment, conditions are set to prevent emissions and waste production, and, where that is not practicable, reduce them to acceptable levels. The conditions also require the restoration of sites when industrial activities cease.
In addition Industrial Bonfires The emission of dark or black smoke from industrial bonfires constitutes an offence under the Clean Air Act 1993
Nuisances Under Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 the Local Authority can take action to secure the abatement of statutory nuisances from industrial premises. A statutory nuisance can arise from excessive smoke, noise odour, dust and fumes arising from industrial activities. Benchmarks against known standards
Air Quality Management (AQM)
Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 requires Local Authorities to regularly review and assess air quality. This takes into account Government Guidance and the statutory Air Quality objectives (based on effects on health) from the National Air Quality Strategy. This has specific concentration targets for 7 pollutants (see above), with compliance dates between 2004 and 2010.
AQM is being considered in conjunction with the Local Transport Plan process as highway improvement schemes can offer the means of addressing hot spots. Each authority is required to produce an air quality management plan for all declared air quality management areas that addresses air quality issues in their respective areas, setting out what it will do to meet the objectives within the AQMA. This will include a timetable for implementing the objectives.
Air Quality Management Plans can include “hard measures”, such as traffic management plans, Road closures, Public transport Improvements and Low emission zones. “Soft measures”, such as Green Travel Plans, planning conditions, Travel awareness campaigns and walking and cycling initiatives. Other plans and strategies such as the Strategic Transport Plan, Green Travel Plan, School Travel Plan, Cycling Strategy and Walking Strategy have a role to play. For example The Powering Future Vehicles Strategy promotes the development of clean low carbon vehicles and fuels through funding and grants incentives.
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In the case of Dudley the Brierley Hill air quality management plan seeks to address the AQMA designated around High St Brierley Hill. A plan is being produced for the AQMA declared in Sedgley.
The table below sets out the current position of the Local Authorities
Dudley Sandwell Walsall Wolverhampton Declared 2 Whole Area 5 Whole Area Considering 4 / Whole 1 Area Declaring Worst Area Worst Areas
Walsall has a particular problem with pollution from the motorway in Sandwell as prevailing wind patterns channel the fumes and pollution away from Sandwell and into Walsall.
Trends Current
Local Authorities are in the process of declaring Local Air Quality Management Areas and must then draw up action plans setting out what they will do to meet the objectives within the AQMA and a timetable for implementation.
Current monitoring shows the pollutants of concern are nitrogen dioxide and particulates (PM10s) mainly associated with motor vehicles.
Trends Future
Emissions from industrial processes are likely to improve, due to a well established regime of regulation. Pollution from Transport is the key future issue. Despite predicted levels of traffic growth, the continuing improvement to engine and fuel technologies is likely to help mean that predicted levels of pollution are not expected to rise significantly.
However trends of increasing CO2 emissions from power generation, transport, domestic, commercial, agricultural and industrial uses are at odds with the UK commitment on reducing CO2.
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BIODIVERSITY
Baselines
In 1978, the then Nature Conservancy Council (now English Nature) published a seminal document called “The Endless Village” (written by Bunny Teagle) which was one of the first attempts to describe the places, habitats and species that could be found in a large conurbation. This conurbation was Birmingham and the Black Country. To mark the 25th anniversary of its publication, a project to review and update this work is being currently undertaken. Some of the results of this work are being fed into this report.
In 1984, the West Midlands County Council published the Nature Conservation Strategy for the West Midlands County, one of the first of its type in the UK. Based on a survey and assessment of habitats started in 1982 within the county, this document established the principles concerned with wildlife reservoirs, corridors, links and stepping stones and wildlife action areas (places deficient in accessible wildlife).
Between 1985 and 1990, the first Phase 1 Habitat Survey of the Black Country was undertaken by the Urban Wildlife Group (now the Wildlife Trust). This revealed that in Sandwell for example about 8% of the numbers of Habitat Survey sites were lost between 1982 and 1986. A comprehensive re-survey and audit of the Black Country is long overdue.
In 1991, EcoRecord, the ecological database for the Black Country & Birmingham was established. It is managed by The Wildlife Trust and jdt Mott MacDonald on behalf of the Black Country Authorities of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton and Birmingham City Council and English Nature. The information is maintained on GIS and database systems. Data includes detailed information on sites of nature conservation value, as well as a vast array of species, many of national or regional importance. This information is vital to informing the planning and development control processes, as well as enabling the development of the Birmingham and Black Country Biodiversity Action Plan. EcoRecord's objectives are to: Provide impartial, authoritative and up to date information on the ecological resources of the area. Provide a source of ecological information, analysis and interpretation for all who have an interest in land management, land use planning, development and nature conservation. Develop and maintain working relationships with statutory agencies, local authorities, voluntary groups and others as appropriate. Collect, validate and store information about habitats, sites, species, groups of species, natural communities and sources of further information. Manage access to that information and analyse and interpret the information according to either a pre-determined programme or upon request. Ensure the integration of local ecological information with various national and regional recording schemes. To date, EcoRecord has information on a total of over 395,657 species records. For the Black Country specifically, there are nearly 256,990 species records for 6,331 species.
The last 20 years has seen an increasing concern and policy provision for the natural and geological heritage of the Black Country. There has been the development of planning policy for these topics within the Unitary Development Plans of the Black Country councils, now changing to Local Development Frameworks. Nature conservation / biodiversity policies have been included within the latest Unitary Development Plans of the Black Country Councils. Dudley MBC, in conjunction with the other Black Country Councils is undertaking work towards the preparation of a Supplementary Planning Document for Nature Conservation that includes a section on geology.
Developing the work undertaken for the Black Country Nature Conservation Strategy (1994), the Birmingham & Black Country Biodiversity Action Plan (BBCBAP), published in 2000, describes this new national approach to conserving, managing, enhancing and promoting biodiversity by prioritising habitats and species for action, outlines the habitat and species
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resource of the sub-region, assesses changes and trends, and describes the actions needed to achieve these goals.
At the Regional level, in 2004, the Regional Spatial Strategy was adopted recognising the link between quality of the environment and social and economic policy. The Regional Biodiversity Strategy, adopted by the Regional Assembly in early 2005, provides wider strategic guidance on the relationship of biodiversity to other sectors. A Regional Delivery Plan is being developed. The Regional Forestry Framework published in October 2004, covers the contribution of woodland and trees to the environment.
The following information is available.
Areas (hectares) of protected sites; SAC NNR SSSI LNR SINC SLINC Dudley 20.22 34.2 83.86 276.4 373.85 691.92 Sandwell 296.01 380.92 298.85 Walsall 0.58 70.06 154.52 405.89 1102.77 Wolverhampton 51.01 146.41 131.76
Totals 20.8 34.2 153.92 777.94 1,307.07 2,225.3
% land surface 0.0006% 0.004% 0.02% 0.04% 0.06% (SAC=Special Area of Conservation (European designation), NNR=National Nature Reserve, SSSI=Site of Special Scientific Interest, LNR=Local Nature Reserve, SINC=Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, SLINC=Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation)
Wildlife Corridors; Dudley 16 km2 Sandwell 14 km2 Walsall 6 km2 Wolverhampton 3 km2
Total Black Country Wildlife Corridors 39km2
It is not known what areas of the above resource are in private and public ownership.
Habitat Information for the Black Country;
Information about the extent and condition of habitats within the Black Country is fragmentary. An up to date habitat audit has not been undertaken. Forestry Commission data is available for Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland (ASNW) and also ASNW that has been re-planted (PAWS). Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland has been identified as a key priority in Policy QE8 in the Regional Spatial Strategy.
Some data is also available for woodland within the Black Country as a whole, and for water bodies within Birmingham & the Black Country and more specifically Wolverhampton.
WOODLAND Ancient Woodland in the Black Country by area (hectares) –
District ASNW PAWS TOTAL Dudley 54.357 0 54.357 Sandwell 16.778 3.205 19.983 Walsall 52.467 1.637 54.104 Wolverhampton 12.911 1.19 14.101
Total 136.513 6.032 142.545 Forestry Commission data
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Total woodland 0.5ha or over in Birmingham and the Black Country in 1982 994.61ha
Woodland in Walsall -
Total woodland (+ 0.5 hectares) Walsall 1982 163.90ha
Woodland new (+ 0.5 ha) 2001 123.22ha Woodland (new?) (under 0.5 ha) 26.13ha
Woodland loss total 5.39ha
Total Woodland Walsall 2001 - 163.90 + 123.22 + 26.13 – 5.39 = 307.86ha (Woodland in 1982) + (Woodland in 2001) – (1982 woodland no longer existing in 2001)
All data above based on Photo-interpretation of 2001 aerial photos of Walsall MBC
This indicates an almost doubling of the woodland resource in Walsall since 1982. Of the woodland area present in 1982, 5.39ha. has been lost.
Caveats to the above information
In 1982, areas under 0.5 ha were not included in the survey. There has been succession of scrub habitats in the intervening 19 years. There has been a great deal of planting – Black Country Urban Forest and areas adjacent to roads. Photo interpretation may be over inclusive as dense scrub and woodland are difficult to distinguish The 1982 estimate of woodland was accurate as there was extensive on the ground checking of semi- natural habitat, the 2001 interpretation has not involved any ‘ground-truthing’
WATER BODIES There are 673 water bodies in Birmingham & Black Country.
Water Bodies in Wolverhampton(according to 1967 and 2001 O.S. map) - Water bodies in Wolverhampton in 1967 and 2001 12.66ha Water bodies in Wolverhampton in 1967 only (ie losses since 1967) 7.72ha Water bodies in Wolverhampton in 2001 only (ie gains since 1967) 1.83ha
Total Water bodies in 1967 12.66 + 7.72 = 20.38ha Total Water bodies in 2001 12.66 + 1.83 = 14.49ha
Net loss of Water bodies between 1967 and 2001 (20.38 – 14.49) = 5.89ha
Thus although there are 1.83ha of new water bodies in 2001, there is a net loss of 28.9% of the water bodies present in 1967.
It should be borne in mind that quantitative figures such as these, while an essential indicator, do not completely reflect changes in biodiversity as they do not show changes in habitat quality which may be of significant importance in the ability of habitats to support biodiversity, and especially in regard to rare and vulnerable species.
Wider Context for Biodiversity;
Two Biodiversity Enhancement Areas set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy enter the sub- region. “Cannock Chase to Sutton Park BEA” stretches from Cannock Chase to Sutton Park, via much of rural Walsall and the Sandwell Valley covering an area of 52.62 km2 within the Black Country. 'Black Country to Lickey Hills BEA” runs from North Worcestershire through Dudley and into the southern part of Wolverhampton covering an area of 120.4 km2
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Overall, the Black Country is located within the Midland Plateau Profile Area defined by English Nature.
Further, the majority of the Black Country landscape lies within the Cannock Chase and Cank Wood National Character Area1. This is described as a; “very varied landscape with a range of industrial, residential, agricultural and recreational land uses strongly contrasting settlement pattern with some areas densely populated others unpopulated and wild. Rounded central plateau dominated by heathland and coniferous woodland.” The overall assessment (1990-98) using the Countryside Quality Counts Indicator is that the area has undergone “some changes inconsistent with character”. These include; deterioration of hedges Heavy recreational use causing erosion Poor landscape treatment on new employment sites Extensive areas of poorly restored land, unrestored mine workings and derelict pasture on the urban fringe. The western fringe of the Black Country (including Stourbridge and Wolverhampton) is covered by the Mid-Severn Sandstone Plateau Character Area. This is described as;
“Rolling landform with open, arable cultivation dominating an often weak hedgerow pattern. Contrasting areas of smaller fields, and mixed field pattern with more distinctive hedgerows in west. Steep, wooded gorges of the Severn Valley.” The overall assessment (1990-98) using the Countryside Quality Counts Indicator is that the area has undergone “limited or small changes consistent with character”. The report goes on to say that “Although there are marked development pressures that are inconsistent with character, changes in woodland, boundary, agriculture and semi-nature seem to offset this impact on the CCA.”
Public Involvement in Nature Conservation / Biodiversity Issues;
Public involvement in the natural world is encouraged, explored and provided for across the Black Country but particularly by the Ranger Services in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. Environmental bodies working within the Black Country have operated and continue to run a number of projects aimed at delivering biodiversity and geodiversity benefits. These include the Black Country Urban Forest, British Trust for Conservation Volunteers work projects, the Wildlife Trust’s Natural Curriculum Project in Wolverhampton and Neighbourhood Nature Project in Walsall, the Environment Zone in Dudley, the Wildside Centre in Wolverhampton and the Wildspace Projects in Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley.
In addition to this resourced provision are the many hours of personal investment by residents and volunteers involved with the many Friends of Groups associated with Local Nature Reserves, wildlife sites and special places throughout the Black Country. The Wildlife Trust’s Windows on Wildlife Project, operating in the Black Country, has been particularly successful at involving people in the recording of wildlife. Six hundred people have been involved and have generated 3,500 records over a period of about 12 months.
Benchmarks against known standards
1 Character Area Profiles Countryside Quality Counts Countryside Agency http://www.countryside-quality-counts.org.uk/cap/westmids/index_wm.htm
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SSSI Condition in the West Midlands Region by area is as follows: %ge favourable 35%, unfavourable and recovering 32%, unfavourable no change 28%, unfavourable declining 5%, and destroyed 0.33%.
SSSI Condition in the Black Country is as follows: %ge favourable 70%, unfavourable recovering 2%, unfavourable no change 22%, unfavourable declining 6%. This compares well with the regional picture though relates to only 153ha of SSSI.
SINC and SLINC Condition is not known.
English Nature’s Local Nature Reserve Standards are for local authorities to provide 1ha of LNR per 1,000 population. To meet this target for a population of 1.2m in 2031 the Black Country will need to create some 500ha more. At present, considering the Black Country’s current population, there is a shortfall of about 260ha.
Of 47 Habitats of Principal Importance (Section 74 Countryside & Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000) in England, the Black Country has Habitat Action Plans for 10. Note that not all 47 Habitats can occur in the Black Country.
Of the 526 Species of Principal Importance (Section 74 CROW Act) in England (having UK Species Action Plans), 149 occur in the West Midlands Region, 8 having Species Action Plans in the Birmingham & Black Country BAP.
67% of Black Country river length are of good or fair biological quality, compared with 27% in 1990.
The Water Framework Directive requires action to restore rivers to good ecological status or potential by 2015. Many of the Black Country’s water bodies are in culverts or brick or concrete channels. These watercourses likely to be considered to be ‘heavily modified’.in terms of this directive and will have to comply with a slightly different standard compared to natural rivers.
Trends Current
The Birmingham & Black Country Biodiversity Action Plan (2000) provides a clear message that the conurbation’s plants and animals are under severe pressure from many competing land uses and indirect factors such as climate change. It is also important that wildlife within the Black Country should be recognised as being of equal worth to that in more remote or rural parts of the region.
Whilst baseline data exists for protected and designated wildlife and geological sites and distribution maps can be prepared for certain groups of species, there is scarcely any information about the impact of change, the factors causing change or the condition of the Black Country’s biodiversity and geology. Available data gives a mixed picture. Research for the Endless Village project (reported above) shows that woodland (a habitat that has been the subject of a major project with major resource investment - the Black Country Urban Forest) has almost doubled in Walsall since 1982 but that 5ha has also been lost. On the other hand, water bodies in Wolverhampton have suffered a net loss in area of over 25%. Little data is available regarding habitat quality. While circumstantial evidence suggests water quality and therefore ecology, is improving in rivers and canals, exemplified by the return of the otter to the Black Country, over-enrichment by nutrients of urban pools is thought to be a problem causing algal blooms and fish deaths.
The Birmingham & Black Country BAP (2000) reports that for Walsall about 12% (by area) of SINC sites was lost between 1977 and 1995. For SLINC sites the figure is higher (over 17%) with the losses occurring over a shorter time period (1991 – 1995). It is likely that the remainder of the Black Country could have suffered similar losses.
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There is a disparity of LNR provision across the Black Country. Walsall, Dudley and Sandwell have three, five and six times, respectively, the area of LNRs than Wolverhampton, even allowing for population differences.
Only an extremely small percentage of the land surface area of the Black Country is protected for its natural or geological importance.
Trends Future
Whilst important in its’ own right, biodiversity is also fundamentally related to other issues covered by the Black Country Study. Some issues, such as climate change, are of overwhelming international importance, whilst others relate to the Black Country delivery of change and the achievement of environmental quality, especially relating to delivery of a quality residential environment, a vibrant economy, and an effective transport network; all within an attractive landscape setting.
There is a recognised need for radical change in land-use planning in the Black Country to make it ‘fit for purpose’ to achieve the economic and housing objectives of Black Country urban renaissance. This step-change cannot be achieved without raising the quality of the environment. There is therefore the highest premium on achieving quality development. This can be achieved through environmental protection and enhancement as a key part of urban design and by creating a more integrated land use structure with better management and use of natural resources and landscape assets, over the next 30 years. Action to create, protect, manage and enhance a wildlife-rich Black Country will play a significant role in the realisation of the goal of environmental quality.
Cross-cutting Environmental Policy Principles and Targets need to be developed to promote a co-ordinated and pro-active response to the environmental challenges and opportunities in the Black Country. It is acknowledged that the future development of the economy and employment, of housing, transport and Centres should be intimately linked with improvement of environmental quality. Consequently, there is a need to achieve the integration of development with protection, conservation and enhancement of environmental assets by not only following the reactive course of avoiding, reducing, compensating and mitigating impacts but, crucially, by building environmental gain into land-use planning and guidance of development from the beginning. Biodiversity and geodiversity assets are a key component of the Black Country’s environmental assets and their promotion and enhancement should be a key focus of improvement of environmental quality.
For too long built development has ignored or obscured its landscape and environmental context. A change in direction should encompass the integration, of important environmental assets, including the natural environment, landscape and biodiversity assets into development and land-use change, enabling their, conservation, enhancement, management and long term protection. To do this successfully, more biodiversity and geodiversity information is required. More frequent surveys and monitoring of habitats and species are required.
Trends on the ground which give cause for concern in relation to the Black Country’s biodiversity and geodiversity are: increases in built development without adequate protection of assets and mitigation for losses inappropriate management or neglect of habitats either due to a lack of expertise, resources or co-ordination, or due to low perceived value diffuse and point-source pollution and abstraction impacts on wetland habitats eutrophication ( by nitrate deposition) of terrestrial habitats due to increasing fossil fuel use, mainly from vehicles continuing land use intensification practices given policy drivers, market forces and fiscal incentives
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inadequate information about and assessment of the biodiversity and geological heritage implications of policies, programmes and projects continued lack of profile, awareness and appreciation of the Black Country’s biodiversity and geodiversity
Biodiversity action in the Black Country can contribute positively to the achievement of national and regional biodiversity targets and initiatives, such as the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, raising the ecological status of water bodies to help meet Water Framework Directive requirements, and the provision of Accessible Natural Greenspace (of 1ha LNR per 1,000 population). Through land use change there is the potential to achieve benefits for biodiversity and geodiversity in dealing with related environmental issues. For example, by responding to brownfield issues positively in recognising that contaminated sites can and do provide positive environmental benefits such as through biodiversity and open space amenity; and planning for water issues on a joint basis across the two Black Country river catchments, including flood risk management, in order to mitigate potential effects and bring about positive biodiversity enhancement.
The formulation, planning and delivery of the Black Country as Urban Park (BCUP) provides an important framework for realising biodiversity and geodiversity objectives. These fit well with the Topography / Beacons / Corridors / Communities layers already scoped in to the BCUP. They also fit well with the future development of the Landscape Masterplan. The Living Landscape element of the Masterplan should ensure that biodiversity and geodiversity play a significant role in the future development and direction of the Black Country. Their relationship to health, tourism, the landscape, lifelong learning, community history and identity and quality of life should not be under-estimated.
The Living Landscape Proposal which forms one of several elements within the development of the Black Country as Urban Park concept is designed to develop and build on these linkages. At present, work areas within the proposal include the bid to seek GeoPark status for the Black Country, the promotion and development of accessible natural green space, Biodiversity Action Plan delivery, and exploring the linkages and potential contribution to Lifelong Learning, Ecotourism, Health and environmental business development.
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CONTAMINATED LAND
Baselines
The long and complex nature of industrialization of the Black Country in which much land has been used more than once, often without records of past activity, means that we cannot be sure that any land is free from contamination.
The knowledge required to bring forward land for development depends on its proposed use – technological advances and legislation are constantly changing land remediation. What is a constraint today is not necessarily one tomorrow.
Benchmarks against known standards
There are a number of regimes that deal with contaminated land, including those below.
Part IIA EPA 90 is primarily concerned with dealing with the legacy of contamination and considers unacceptable risks in the context of the current use of land. Local authorities are required to adopt a strategic approach to inspection and publish an Inspection Strategy.
The IPPC regime is generally looking to prevent future pollution, including contaminating land. Under the regime site condition surveys are required to provide baseline data with respect to contamination. Upon cessation of the industrial process/activity a further survey is necessary and if the levels of contamination have increased the site should be cleaned up to the original standard. Any spillages or accidental releases should be dealt with so that the land is returned to its original condition. This tends not to be risk based.
Contaminated land is also a material planning consideration under the Town and Country Planning Act. The possibility of contamination should be considered in both strategic planning (development plans) and when considering planning applications. Within planning the context of contamination is wider than under Part IIA in that both the current and proposed use of land are considered when assessing risks.
There are a number of other regimes including the Water Resources Act 1991, Health and Safety regulations and waste management regulations.
Detailed ‘mapping’ is impractical, expensive and can blight an area unnecessarily, but ‘site investigations’ will be a necessary early and integral part of the development process within the Black Country.
By consulting with stakeholders we have brought together expertise from across a wide spectrum of experience from engineers to developers to build a better understanding of issues and potential guidelines to inform development.
Trends Current
The rate of bringing contaminated land into beneficial use has not matched the land made available by abandonment of previous use.
Trends Future
Without significant investment, and based on current technologies, the current land remediation deficit will continue. It is the case, however, that technology developments may mean that what is a current constraint may not be so in the future.
This trend is exacerbated by the impact of the Landfill Directives in connection with treatment processes and the lack of a clear regulatory framework. This allied to the risks of developing contaminated land is discouraging development.
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Future trends in the remediation of contaminated land and bringing it back into beneficial use will, if left to the market place, be largely governed by the economic viability of developing sites – particularly so for isolated sites.
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ENERGY Baselines
At present we only have the figures for the West Midlands Regional Energy Strategy to describe the present situation in the Region. In order to make it relevant to the Strategy’s aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions the figures are normally converted to tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. No work has as yet been carried out to disaggregate these regional figures to the Black Country level. As a rough guide thought the demands of the population of the Black Country and it’s businesses contribute possibly a third of the region’s emissions.
In 2002 the West Midlands Region was responsible for emitting around 9.6% of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions – a total of 41,653,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. The emissions are broken down as follows:
32% from industry = 13,229,000 tonnes CO2 30% from houses and domestic use = 12,644,000 tonnes CO2 24% from transport = 10,138,000 tonnes CO2 14 % from shops, offices and public sector = 5,643,000 tonnes CO2
Where does it come from?
34% electricity (mainly from burning coal at the Rugeley and Ironbridge power stations) 33% petroleum products 29% natural gas 4% solid fuel
Benchmarks against known standards
At present, in terms of firm targets for energy they relate mainly to reducing carbon dioxide emissions at the national and international levels:
The generally accepted longer-term target for the UK is that we need to cut our carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2050. The international Kyoto Protocol, finally agreed in February 2005, looks to the UK to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% below 1990 levels by 2012. The UK Government committed itself to a national goal of 20% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions on 1990 levels by 2010. The UK Government has set a target of generating 10% of the UK’s electricity from non-polluting renewable sources by 2010.
The West Midlands Regional Energy Strategy tries to interpret how the region can realistically contribute to these targets by 2010 and 2020 and finds:
Industry: Reduce CO2 emissions by 18% by 2010 and an additional 32% by 2020 Commercial and public sector: Reduce CO2 emissions by 36% by 2010 and an additional 26% by 2020. Domestic: Reduce CO2 emissions by 19% by 2010 and an additional 29% by 2020 Transport: Stabilise emissions by 2010 and reduce them by 7% by 2020. Renewable energy: The equivalent of 5% of electricity consumption by 2010 and 10% by 2020 Combined Heat and Power: Increase plant capacity to 1,000 MW
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Biofuels: Increase use up to the equivalent of 2% of current diesel sales by 2010
As yet there has been no attempt made to calculate how much these regional targets can be contributed to by the Black Country.
Similarly benchmarks have yet to be identified for the Black Country. However apart from measuring the total amounts of carbon dioxide per sector, the following baselines are being used as indicators by the West Midlands Regional Energy Strategy and may be useful to measure progress in the Black Country:
Indicator Baseline position Regional Electricity Consumption 32,966 GWh / yr Carbon dioxide emissions per dwelling 5.7 tonnes / year/ dwelling Average SAP rating of homes 48.8 Homes not meeting Decent Homes standard 829,000 Households where energy costs are more 225,000 than 10% of household income (suffering from ‘fuel poverty’) Percentage of trips to work by car 77% Average annual mileage by car and number 3,588 miles and 413 trips of trips per person Combined Heat and Power plant capacity 65 MW Renewable electricity generation capacity 48 MW Percentage of electricity consumption from 0.6% renewables Amount of biofuel sold per year 1.7 million litres (0.1% of diesel sold) Renewable heat supplied 14 GWh
Trends Current
The recent use of energy in the Black Country will have mirrored those across the UK. The West Midlands Regional Strategy records:
1970 1980 1990 1995 2000 Industry 287 205 176 155 149 Houses and 195 174 155 146 151 domestic users Transport 76 102 135 137 141 Shops, offices 120 119 116 107 98 and public buildings Figure in millions of tonnes of CO2
Four things to note here: The reduction in industrial emissions looks encouraging but it should be recognised that most of this reduction was a result of many heavy industrial companies closing down in the late 70’s and 80’s. A significant portion of these reductions is a result of the “dash for gas” where coal fired power stations have been progressively replaced by those using natural gas – which produce significantly less carbon dioxide for each unit of electricity produced. The steady growth in transport emissions suggests this sector is likely to soon promote itself from the smallest to the largest emitter out of the four.
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These figures don’t include air traffic emissions, which are currently growing at an alarming rate.
Trends Future
Until recently electricity, gas and oil could be relied upon as being readily available and comparatively cheap. It is anticipated that we are yet again entering a new energy era where these fuel sources cannot necessarily be depended upon for their cheapness or availability. Oil and gas from the North Sea is running out. Globally we’re thought to be close to the point where new oil and natural gas discoveries are not keeping pace with rapidly expanding international demand. If so, it’s reckoned that within 30 years, supplies of oil and gas are likely to be scarce. Leading up to that point, the free market should make what’s still left progressively more expensive to purchase.
Generating electricity from fossil fuels in large coal fired power stations is likely to be a thing of the past in 30 years as this country honour it’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an anticipated two thirds within the next 50 years. The future of the nuclear industry is also in question given current concerns about accidents, pollution, processing, nuclear waste treatment and disposal and terrorist threats.
The next section records how the West Midlands Regional Strategy aims to contribute to carbon dioxide savings from energy up to 2010 and gives examples of how they might be achieved at the Black Country level. It’s important to note that by far the most important element is improved energy efficiency. New energy technologies and renewable energy play complementary roles to energy efficiency.
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HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT
Baselines
Historic Landscapes and Townscapes
The Black Country Historic Landscape Characterisation is a 2.5 year project funded by English Heritage designed to identify the present day and historic character of the Black Country landscape. It is being undertaken at a time of rapid change in the Black Country and its aim is to contribute towards the management of this change rather than attempting to impose blanket preservation.
It is one of a series of studies of the historic landscape funded by English Heritage’s national characterisation programme. Whilst early projects tended to concentrate on rural counties, over the last few years there has been a swing in emphasis towards the metropolitan areas. Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council has also undertaken a separate study of the Housing Market Renewal Area, with part funding from English Heritage and Urban Living, which is to be fed into the broader Black Country Historic Landscape Characterisation study. These Black Country characterisation projects are the first in the region, and in the case of the wider Black Country project nationally, to be undertaken in a heavily developed conurbation. Both studies have utilised GIS mapping systems, with accompanying databases, and are hence particularly suitable for use in spatial planning.
The RSS underlines the role of character based techniques, including Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC), as an important context for the Spatial Strategy and encourages their use in the preparation of development plans and other strategies. HLC aims to look at the entire landscape, dividing it up into basic character types such as woodland or industrial etc. These are then sub-divided into narrower types such as orchard or metal works. Time-depth is added by describing previous landscape types as shown on historic mapping or by professional judgement e.g. quarry, former open field etc. Properly applied HLC has a number of advantages over more traditional site based studies. In particular it ensures that the landscape of entire areas is studied to the same depth rather than particular areas being picked out and given priority.
It is important note that the Black Country HLC is not designed to go down to the detailed level of identifying historic assets or to make a judgement about the management of a particular piece of land. Rather it is intended to act as a catalyst and framework for more detailed work, such as the All Saints and Blakenhall New Deal for Communities Area in Wolverhampton (ABCD project) [see below]. Sandwell MBC has also undertaken a more detailed study of West Bromwich and Smethwick as part of the Historic Urban Characterisation Study for the Sandwell section of the Birmingham / Sandwell Housing Market Renewal Area [HMRA] (see below). The completed Study is already being utilised to formulate plans for improvement works within the HMRA and is being used in conjunction with design guidance for development within the area.
Once completed the Black Country HLC will sit within the appropriate Sites and Monuments Record/Historic Environment Record for the area (the Black Country Archaeological Service for Wolverhampton and Walsall; Sandwell MBC for Sandwell; Dudley MBC for Dudley). The detailed information from the Sandwell Study will also be added to the Council’s Historic Environment Record and website.
Wolverhampton ABCD Project Due for completion in autumn 2005, the draft study was commissioned to inform the wider regeneration of the area and aims to identify important heritage assets and ensure that they are taken into account at the earliest stage in masterplans, development briefs and other consultations affecting the ABCD New Deal for communities area. To date the study has identified 15 distinct unified character zones which are described under the following headings: townscape analysis, architectural and historic character, landscape features, negative and neutral areas, and sensitivity to development impact. The audit has identified
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110 assets (some of these are terraces of houses so the actual number of individual properties is larger) which are considered to have either archaeological potential, architectural, historic, landscape or townscape value; or to make a positive contribution to the character of the area. Of these assets 66 are buildings or groups of buildings, 26 are other structures, 11 are landscape features and other significant elements of townscape. Each asset has been attributed a ‘heritage value’.
The project is being discussed with the ABCD so to raise awareness of and protect and enhance the heritage assets of the area. The key aim will be to build upon the results of the audit and characterisation by providing targeted grant aid to repair and restore historic buildings and structures, promote environmental enhancement of the street scene, including shop front improvements, and to encourage community based heritage projects.
Sandwell – Historic Urban Characterisation Study of the Housing Market Renewal Area In September 2003 Sandwell MBC, in partnership with English Heritage and Urban Living, commissioned a characterisation study to assess the historic character of the Sandwell section of the Birmingham – Sandwell Housing Market Renewal Area (HMRA) - one of nine Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder Areas introduced by the Government to tackle areas of low housing demand. The Study has enabled an assessment and better understanding of the historic development and present day urban form and character of the HMRA. The results of the Study will provide a database of information to inform a high quality of urban design that will be critical to the success of the overall regeneration objectives for the area. The aim is that redevelopment and environmental enhancements to the surviving fabric will retain and reflect what is unique about the character of the area’s built form.
The Historic Urban Characterisation Study of the Sandwell HMRA will contribute to the overall management of the historic environment by:
Providing better overall information on the historic environment by advancing the Council’s Sites and Monuments Record towards an accessible Historic Environment Record. Enabling greater confidence in historic environment planning advice through the identification of a context for the existing site based ‘point’ data. Offering the basis for a strategic management framework compared to 'ad hoc' research in response to individual development threats. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS) to enable integration with other local authority GIS based environmental and land management data systems and strategies. Informing and supporting international, national and local authority designations. Providing historical characterisation mapping in support of related development projects. Contributing towards the forthcoming ‘broad brush’ Historic Landscape Characterisation of the Black Country. Providing the opportunity to better link the management of the historic environment to regeneration schemes, through improved information and consultation. Producing a digitally generated resource that can be adapted to wider public access. Involving local people in the survey and facilitating a deeper understanding within the local community of its built historic environment.
The Study is already being utilised to formulate plans for improvement works being carried out with HMRA projects and will be used in conjunction with the new generation of design guidance to inform the design of development within the study area. This document has also been used in conjunction other recent Conservation and Heritage Landscape Appraisals, and Local Listing Appraisals.
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For designated Conservation Areas, conservation area appraisals provide a vital source of information on the special interest, character and appearance of the area as well as relevant management proposals. For example, Sandwell MBC has recently completed a Conservation Area Appraisal study of Smethwick High Street to Cape Hill, including the area around Smethwick Council House, Victoria Park and Piddock Road/Crocketts Lane. The findings and recommendations of the study will be fed into the local development framework as well as inform potential funding submissions (e.g. Townscape Heritage Initiative).
Designated Assets
Scheduled Listed Registered Conservation Monuments Buildings (all Parks and Areas* grades) Gardens (all grades) Dudley 11 262 3 20 Sandwell 5 276 5 6 Walsall 5 148 4 18 Wolverhampton 4 374 2 28
[Source: Heritage Counts 2005: West Midlands; * based on 2004 data]
For all designated assets an additional consideration is the potential impact of development and change on their setting.
Non Designated Assets
The Black Country councils’ Historic Environment Records (HERs) hold data on statutory and non statutory historic features and archaeological resources [HERs information for
Wolverhampton and Walsall is maintained by the Black Country Archaeological Service, whilst Dudley and Sandwell maintain their own in-house HERs].
A number of the Councils have compiled Local Lists of buildings, structures, archaeological sites, and parks and gardens that are not subject to any statutory designation, but are of local historic, architectural or archaeological value. The lists are continually being updated as new information becomes available, and are supported by policies in the unitary development plans.
Local List Sites Coverage Status Dudley Adopted and policy in Approx 300 Buildings UDP Sandwell In preparation (for all 6 Smethwick (102 Buildings towns – Smethwick due buildings under for adoption March consideration) 2006; West Bromwich due for adoption 2007) Walsall Formally adopted and Approx 150 Buildings policy in UDP Wolverhampton Formally adopted and 155 Buildings, structures, policy in UDP archaeological sites, and parks and gardens
Additional information on the Black Country’s wealth of non designated assets, and what people regard as their ‘everyday’ heritage will generated by characterisation studies, as already demonstrated by the Wolverhampton ABCD project and the Sandwell Historic Urban Characterisation project.
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General Considerations
It is important to recognise that what comprises the historic environment is continually evolving due to the many varying interpretations of ‘heritage’ and through a better appreciation of what people value as their ‘everyday’ historic environment – as for example being explored through the Wolverhampton ABCD project, and through the two year Smethwick Summit Canal Project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Cradley Heath Town Centre Historic Environment Appraisal funded by Sandwell MBC.
An additional issue is the incomplete nature of the baseline information for the historic environment. This is especially true for the Black Country’s archaeological resources – and particularly the buried archaeology beyond a limited number of specific sites.
As part of the baseline the condition of the resources also needs to be considered. The national Buildings at Risk Register (English Heritage, 2005) gives information on all Grade I and II* listed buildings, and scheduled monuments (structures) known to English Heritage to be ‘at risk’ through neglect, decay or vulnerable to becoming so. For the Black Country the entries on the 2005 Registry are as follows: Dudley (4), Sandwell (2), Walsall (1), Wolverhampton (2). To augment the Register there is also an ongoing Scheduled Monuments at Risk Survey for the West Midlands which is due to report in 2006. In the longer term a comprehensive ‘at risk’ register covering all buildings, monuments and landscapes at all grades is proposed at the national level. Currently, however, the national register does not cover Grade II listed buildings. Within the Black Country Wolverhampton and Walsall have building at risk information for Grade II buildings (and other buildings of local historic/architectural interest).
Benchmarks
Potential benchmarks for the historic environment include the following:
The National Buildings at Risk Register (and local buildings at risk registers where applicable). Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) on Conservation Areas. The indicator has three parts: (i) total number of conservation areas in the local authority area; (ii) percentage of conservation areas in the local authority area with an up-to-date character appraisal; (iii) percentage of conservation areas with published management proposals. Coverage of detailed characterisation studies linked to the overarching Black Country Historic Landscape Characterisation project. Monitoring targets set out as part of local development frameworks.
Trends Current
Development pressures including: canal side development; new housing; regeneration programmes. Loss of industrial heritage and landscapes. Continuing neglect and or poor maintenance of the built fabric due to economic restructuring, cessation of original uses, and a lack of investment. Erosion of townscape character due to the uncoordinated management of the public realm, and the cumulative impact of small scale, incremental changes. Infill development and intensification leading to an erosion of the area’s characteristic matrix of urban areas and green space. Growing recognition of the value and importance of the Black Country’s town centres and their distinctive character. Strengthened emphasis in national planning guidance (e.g. PPS1) and good practice guidance (e.g. CABE) on high quality and inclusive design for all development – this including that developments respond to their local context and create or reinforce local distinctiveness.
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Trends Future
Implementation of the outcomes from the ongoing Heritage Protection Review, this including a single Register of historic sites and buildings; a single designation regime integrating listing, registration and scheduling; a single regulatory and management regime unifying listed building consent and scheduled monument consent; and the introduction of statutory Heritage Partnership Agreements for the management of designated assets in particular situations, as for example complex sites comprising many similar or several different types of assets or sites in dispersed locations with a single or similar asset type which are under single ownership or management. Intensification of development pressures associated with the aspirations for transforming the Black Country.
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CANALS
Baselines
Physical
. 177km (over 130 miles) of canals within the Black Country . 63 locks . 3 tunnels . 1,100 hire boats passed through the Black Country per year . Updated Visitor figures (pedestrian figures to be provided by BW asap)
The Heritage Recording Project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund was carried out by British Waterways in 2003/4 in order to survey existing heritage features across the Black Country Canal Network. The resulting database provides details of the heritage features location, condition and any external pressures, such as new development, erosion or vandalism. It provides an invaluable baseline for assessing future developments as well as identifying features for restoration or protection. Much of the canal network is included in Conservation Areas as designated by the four Black Country Local Authorities. These plans will provide a baseline and guidance for potential development sites.
Social, Environmental, Economic
British Waterways, the statutory body for canal management, have a number of performance indicators that not only relate to their business, but also the quality of the waterway network - including customer satisfaction, and water, navigation and towpath quality. In particular, areas relating to sustainable development are of importance and include indicators relating to the number of affordable housing units created, miles of newly accessible waterway corridor, visitor numbers and visitor satisfaction levels, reducing the number of BW maintained buildings at risk, miles of historic waterway restored, and number of interpretation schemes completed.
Data is collated annually in relation to pedestrian and boat movements throughout the canal network and at specific junctions and locks.
Pedestrian counter Data 2001 2001 Farmers Bridge / Gas St Basin area 1.66m Wolverhampton 222,000 Walsall 154,500 Ocker Hill 121,000 Stourbridge 87,500 Rushall 56,500 Perry Barr 46,000 Tipton * 57,000 Smethwick * 22,000
Benchmarks against known standards
Existing Strategies/Policies
Dudley
UDP Policies
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HE7 – Canals
A Strategy for Dudley’s Canals (1999), was adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance in 2000. It recognises the potential the waterways have for attracting investment and realising regeneration objectives. The Strategy will be revised as part of Local Development Framework and the World Heritage Management Plan.
Sandwell
UDP Policies
C7 – Conservation and Heritage Policy: Canals DC4 – Canals DC1 – Residential Moorings
Supplementary Planning Guidance - Residential Design Guidance which details issues relating to canalside development.
Walsall
UDP Policies
ENV 32 – Design and Development Proposals states that poorly designed development on the canal network will not be permitted. Chapter 8 Leisure & Community Needs chapter identifies the need to work with partners to safeguard, improve and expand facilities, including canals LC5 : Greenways LC9: Canals
Wolverhampton
E22 : Protection and Enhancement of the Canal Network HE23: Bradley Arm of the Birmingham Canal CC12: Canalside Quarter
Regional Spatial Strategy
PA10: Tourism and Culture QE4: Greenway, Urban Greenspace and Public Spaces QE5: Protection and enhancement of the Historic Environment T3: Walking and Cycling T10: Freight
Trends Current
The canal network is experiencing a renaissance of its own. The network is again seen as a focal point for development and leisure activity and within the Black Country.
. Increasing numbers of visitors using the system because of new developments which include secure mooring facilities, visitor facilities, i.e sanitation stations, interpretation and towpath improvements. . Increasing numbers of visitors using the canals as a leisure activity . Increased interest in restoring derelict and remainder canals
Trends Future
. Continue to grow the number of boaters and leisure visitors using the network.
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. Pressure on canal side development and ensuring that the heritage features that add to the local distinctiveness is not lost. . By 2012 BW will have created an expanded, vibrant, largely self-sufficient waterway network used by twice as many people as in 2002 . Increased momentum for ensuring the uniqueness of the canal corridor is retained as part of the World Heritage Bid Aspiration for the Black Country and the Management Plan for the network.
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OPENSPACE Baselines
PPG17 – Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation advocates the use of typology of publicly accessible and private spaces. The typology used is based on that of the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce (UGSTF). The use of a typology will allow areas to be compared by the type of spaces that they have and allow for a clear breakdown of types of spaces in one particular area. A typology will help to highlight the deficiencies that an area may face in a certain type of provision such as outdoor sports facilities. The typology from PPG17 can be seen in the table below.
The figures in the table below show open spaces figures for the four Black Country Authorities. Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Dudley figures include all open spaces of 0.2 ha or over. However, Walsall figures only include open space of 0.4 ha or over. These smaller areas of open space can be of great importance in areas, which have very little greenery. In Wolverhampton, 28 ha of UDP designated Recreational Open Space is between 0.2 and 0.4 ha in size (in fact, an extra 24 ha is less than 0.2 ha). This constitutes 4% of total POS. This proportion has been applied to the Public Open Space figure for Walsall, to allow consistency between the Boroughs.
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LPA Wolverhampton Dudley Sandwell Walsall Total (estimate) Total Public 716 1,900 (357 in 1,614 1,181 5,411 Open Space (> Central 0.2 ha) Dudley) Total population 236,600 305,200 282,900 253,500 1,078,200 (2001) (57,339) POS per 1,000 3.03 ha 6.23 ha 5.71 ha 4.66 ha 5.02 ha population Allotments 39 (5%) - (0 in pilot 51 (3%) 40 (4%) area) Allotments per 0.16 - 0.18 0.16 - 1,000 population (ha) National: 0.2 Private / dual 82 (an extra - - - - use sports 11%) grounds (ha)
Benchmarks against known standards
The Government’s policy objectives for Open Space, Sport and Recreation are set out in PPG17. The long term outcomes PPG17 aims to deliver are:
Networks of accessible, high quality open spaces and sport and recreation facilities, in both urban and rural areas, which meet the needs of residents and visitors, are fit for purpose and economically and environmentally sustainable
An appropriate balance between new provision and the enhancement of existing provision
Clarity and reasonable certainty for developers and land owners in relation to the requirements and expectations of local planning authorities in respect of open space sport and recreation provision
Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) sets out a number of policies that aim to achieve conservation of the environment and prudent use of natural resources through sustainable development.
The main RSS policies relevant to open space are: Policy QE1: Conserving and Enhancing the Environment This identifies environmental improvement as a key component and supports regeneration by restoring degraded areas and creating a high quality natural environment. It also concentrates on protecting irreplaceable assets and distinctive character of parts of the region.
Policy QE2: Restoring degraded areas and managing and creating high quality new environments This focuses on developing strategies/programmes that optimises the contribution that the natural environment can make. It promotes restoration of derelict/contaminated sites, initiating programmes of regeneration and providing measures to reduce the impact of environmental problems.
Policy QE4: Greenery, Urban Greenspace, and Public Spaces This states that Local Authorities should undertake audits of provision to ensure that there is adequate provision of an accessible high quality greenspace. Also focuses on protecting key features, and identifying areas where new linkages need to be forged.
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Policy QE6: The conservation, enhancement and restoration of the Regions Landscape This looks to ensure a consistent approach is taken to landscape issues, emphasises the importance of establishing a positive and integrated approach to the use/management of urban fringe, also supports community forest programmes. Policy QE7: Protecting, managing and enhancing the Regions Biodiversity and nature Conservation Resources This encourages the maintenance and enhancement of the region’s wider biodiversity. Looks to include policies and proposals which will enable the West Midlands to achieve its minimum share of Biodiversity Action Plan targets.
Policy QE8: Forestry and Woodlands This encourages tree cover in the region to be increased and promotes the conservation of woodlands.
Once an open space audit and needs assessment has been carried out it will be possible to set locally determined provision standards (while using known guidance to set these figures). These standards could then be adopted in planning policy and used in open space strategies.
The provision of allotments is also important and there is a national standard of allotment provision of 0.2ha per 1000 population.
English Nature recommends that LNR’s should be provided at the level of 1ha per 1000 population.
Trends Current
The current trend is to protect and enhance open space, all of the Black Country Boroughs have policies within their UDP’s/ Local Plan’s to ensure that this aim is achieved
LPA Relevant UDP Policies Dudley LR1 Open Space LR2 Access To Public Open Space LR3 Children’s Play Areas LR5 Playing Fields Sandwell OS2: Protection of Open Spaces OS3: Green Belt OS4: Rowley Hills Strategic Open Space OS5: Community Open Space OS6: Open Space Network OS7: Sports Facilities OS8: Community Open Space in Association with New Housing Development OS10: Allotments Walsall ENV2: Control of Development in the Green Belt ENV23: Nature Conservation and New Development ENV30: Registered Parks and Gardens LC1: Urban Open Spaces LC3: Children’s Play Areas LC4: Allotment Gardens LC6: Sports Pitches Wolverhampton R3: Protection of Open Space, Sport and Recreation Facilities Policy R6: The Greenway Network R7: Open Space Requirements for New Development R9: New Open Space, Sport and Recreation Facilities
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Trends Future
The key trend for the future will be to improve the image of the Black Country, to help attract investment into the area and enhance the experience of existing residents. This will be achieved by encouraging several trends, which should increase the quality and type of open spaces within the Black Country and therefore the experience of visitors. These will effectively protect, enhance and maintain open spaces and include:
The development of a network of open spaces, it is widely recognised that the best open spaces form part of a network. Networks can help to define the structure of an area through its landscape and townscape by providing links with the countryside to allow the movement of both people and wildlife. This is supported by the work on Green Infrastructre Planning (GIP) that the Forestry Commission is currently developing. GIP is defined as a network of protected sites, nature reserves, greenspaces and greenway linkages, in urban and rural locations that should provide the multifunctional uses and delivery of ecological benefits. It has the potential to offer a unifying strategic environmental concept directed at the improvement and development of greenspace over the long term. It also links in with the Black Country Study concept of Beacons, Corridors and Communities.
The design of open spaces, it is very important as they have to be fit for the purpose for which they are intended, as well as being in-keeping with the surrounding area. The development of design principles will help with the creation of new spaces and will guide the regeneration of existing spaces.
Aim to create and/or enhance existing open spaces (approximately 500ha across the Black Country) to Local Nature Reserve (LNR) status to meet the target set by English Nature of 1 hectare of LNR per 1000 people.
Respond to land contamination issues in a positive manner, including the recognition that contaminated sites can and do provide positive environmental benefits such as through biodiversity and amenity space and can include investment in spaces, ie, biodiversity enhancement corridors.
Local councils, in line with PPG17, are required to carry out a open space audit and needs assessment. This will highlight the number and quality of the existing provision and will also help set new local standards for different types of open space and recreational facilities, which will then feed into planning policy. Audits are currently underway in Sandwell and Dudley, with Wolverhampton and Walsall to follow shortly.
Ensure that, wherever possible, open spaces are multifunctional providing a variety of facilities such as in Bantock Park in Wolverhampton which boasts a visitor centre, landscaped gardens, playing fields and changing rooms etc. Following this direction will help to create a critical mass of visitor attractions and maximise efficiency.
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URBAN DESIGN
Baselines
As part of the preparation of the Black Country Study a number of spatial choices for the future development of the sub – region have been developed. Option A spreads growth, Option B focus on corridors centres. Option C focus on growth of centre. The first appraisal of these options (SA/SEA) is inconclusive with Options B and C appearing to perform significantly better than Option A when judged against a range of environmental social and economic objectives. However the positive elements to Option A ( community identity and cultural diversity ) were recognised and so the option was not dismissed.
Notwithstanding this, it is considered that Urban Design is holistic and should provide a robust over arching framework for the Black Country Vision. National guidance from CABE sets out a number of key principles which apply to our aspirations –Creating character, continuity and enclosure, quality of the public realm, ease of movement, legibility, adaptability and diversity.
Chapter 6 of the Environment paper states in the section on Urban Design / Built Environment :
Good urban design knits together development to create places not just products Much post war development did not reflect any conscious urban design process in the Black Country Good urban design should build in sustainability – the Black Country should build upon its innovative projects for sustainable building such as the Lyng in West Bromwich to adopt environmentally friendly design standards such as BREEAM Eco homes Benchmark against Known Statistics
Policy Background
Urban Design Policies
Wolverhampton
Policy D1: Design Quality (Part I)
All development proposals should demonstrate a high standard of design and contribute towards creating a strong sense of place. Proposals should evolve from an understanding of local distinctiveness and the historic context. Poor and mediocre designs will be unacceptable.
Policy D2: Design Statement
All planning applications should be accompanied by a written statement justifying the proposed design in relation to the site and its wider context.
Policy D3: Urban Structure
Proposals should retain and improve all useful, safe and appropriate vehicular and pedestrian routes and provide new ones that make movement easier, safer, more attractive and visually varied through and within built up areas. The following principles should be taken into account in the design of new development:
Priority should be given to establishing a sense of place and community, with movement networks used to enhance those qualities.
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Streets should generally link up and layouts should be designed to encourage safer walking, cycling and access to public transport.
In residential areas, new streets should be designed so that traffic moves slowly.
Direct, convenient and safe access should be provided to new developments for pedestrians and cyclists.
Policy D4: Urban Grain
Proposals should respond positively to the established pattern of streets and buildings, including plot sizes, spatial character and building lines, of which they form a part. Those elements that contribute to the quality of the surrounding environment should be respected. The design of new schemes should create a significant improvement everywhere, including areas of poor or indifferent quality.
The following principles should be taken into account in the design of new development:
Proposals should respond to the existing context of buildings, streets and spaces, ensuring that adjacent buildings relate positively to each other.
Building lines should generally be respected and buildings generally aligned parallel to the street
The relationship of proposed buildings to the spaces around them should not constitute over development leading to cramped layouts and/or obtrusiveness in relation to adjoining properties.
The spaciousness and character of established residential gardens should be respected and enhanced.
Policy D5: Public Realm (public space/ private space)
Proposals should promote active street frontages as a means of enclosing the public realm. Developments should clearly differentiate between private areas and public spaces.
The following principles should be taken into account in the design of new development:
The fronts and backs of buildings should be clearly defined to ensure places are easily understood, physically secure, and feel safe and pleasant.
Main entrances should open onto the public realm, windows and more active rooms should face the public realm, and blank walls or inactive facades should be avoided on frontages.
Frontages should not be dominated by parking or servicing areas.
Parking arrangements should be catered for in ways that do not detract from the effectiveness of the built up frontage in defining public areas.
Parking areas should be secure, attractive and overlooked
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Policy D6: Townscape and Landscape
Proposals should respond to and reinforce the local distinctiveness of the existing historic environment or create local distinctiveness where none currently exists by comprising site- specific design solutions that respond explicitly to the site and its context. Proposals should
enhance established qualities of townscape and landscape character (see Policy HE1). In areas lacking in local distinctiveness, proposals should contribute towards repairing or creating qualities of townscape and landscape character. (1)
The following principles should be taken into account in the design of new development:
Building frontages and boundary treatments should provide definition and a sense of enclosure for streets and public spaces.
Distinctive features should be provided to define and emphasise landmarks, corners sites, junctions, vistas, street scenes and public spaces.
Existing buildings, structures and physical features of local distinctiveness or townscape value should be retained and integrated into new development to maintain the continuity of built form (see Policy HE1).
Proposals should respect existing vistas, views and skylines that contribute to the character of an area.
Buildings should relate positively to and face towards streets, open space, squares and canals.
Public or communal open space should relate to the buildings around it, be designed with a specific purpose in mind and should not just be space left over after development.
Attractive landscaping, including hard surfaces, parking areas and adequate and useable gardens/amenity areas, should form an integral part of the design of new development and should complement the surrounding area.
Proposals should make positive use of the topography, land form, changes in levels, landscape setting and natural features (see Policy D12) of the site and the surrounding area. · Existing landscape features of value should be retained (see Policy D12).
Policy D7: Scale – Height
All development should be of a height that helps achieve a strong sense of place, relates positively to its surroundings and the local topography, and does not detract from important views and landmarks. Proposals should take account of the following principles:
Buildings should be of sufficient height to positively contribute to a sense of enclosure of the public realm.
Buildings should appear to be of a human scale overall and particularly at ground floor level and should not appear overbearing.
Buildings should be compatible with the general pattern of heights in an area.
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Corner buildings should emphasise the prominence and importance of the position to provide identity and act as points of orientation
Policy D8: Scale – Massing
Buildings, structures, boundary treatments and landscape features should make a positive contribution to the locality through the use of appropriate form and good quality detailing and materials. Proposals should take account of the following principles:
Form. As well as scale (height and massing), composition, proportion, articulation, modulation, rhythm, balance and framing are all important to the appearance of a development and may significantly affect the character or quality of an area.
Detailing. Details include all building elements such as entrances, walling, fenestration, roofs, gables, eaves, bays, balconies, porches, walls and fences, and external works. The way in which these details are designed and articulated will effect the visual interest, character and quality of a development when viewed as a whole or in close proximity. The richness of detail is particularly important at ground level or where it is prominent and easily appreciated.
Materials. The quality of materials and finishes contribute to the attractiveness of a proposal’s appearance and the character of an area. The use of good quality materials will be required.
The use of local and/or reclaimed materials, where appropriate, can be a major factor in enhancing local distinctiveness and will be encouraged.
Policy D10: Community Safety (Part I)
Proposals should take full account of the need to prevent crime, reduce the fear of crime and promote community safety throughout the design process. Proposals should take account of the following principles:
Opportunities for surveillance of public space should be maximised. Buildings should front onto the public realm (see Policy D5). Exposed blank facades should be minimised. Streets and other public spaces should be well lit.
The layout of buildings and landscaping schemes should avoid creating “dead space”, hiding places or cover for criminals. Segregated routes, footpaths and alleyways and parking spaces which are not directly overlooked should be avoided. · Private space around buildings should be designed to be “defensible space” i.e. it should be secure, attractive and overlooked so that it is controlled, or perceived to be controlled by its occupiers. Attractive landscaping, fencing, walls, pillars, railings and other treatments should be used to reinforce boundaries and deter intruders. Where appropriate, planning conditions or obligations will be used to secure the provision of community safety measures.
Policy D14: The Provision of Public Art
All major residential and commercial developments will be expected to provide for public art in accordance with SPG on the Provision of Public Art. The provision of public art on smaller developments will be encouraged. Such provision will be secured through the use of conditions, planning obligations or management agreements, where appropriate.
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SPG 3 – Residential Developments. This guidance takes into account design guidance for new residential developments
Walsall
Policy ENV32: Design and Development Proposals
2005 Poorly designed development or proposals which fail to properly take account of the context or surroundings will not be permitted. This policy will be applied to all development but will be particularly significant in the following locations:- 2006 Within a Conservation Area. II. Within a Town, District or Local Centre. III. On a visually prominent site. IV. Within or adjacent to transport corridors, including canals, railways, motorways and major roads. V. Water frontages. VI. Areas with a special character arising from the homogeneity of existing development in the neighbourhood. VII. In the vicinity of a Listed Building, Building of Local Interest or Registered Parks and Gardens. VIII. Within or adjacent to Local Nature Reserves, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation, parks, cemeteries or public open spaces. IX. Within or adjacent to Green Belt, agricultural or open land. X. In an priority area for environmental improvement (Policy ENV9).
(b) When assessing the quality of design of any development proposal the Council will use some or all of the following criteria:- 2007 The appearance of the proposed development. II. The height, proportion, scale, and mass of proposed buildings/ structures. III. The materials proposed for buildings, external spaces and means of enclosure. IV. The integration and co-ordination of buildings and external space. V. Community safety and security. VI. The visual relationship of the proposed development with adjacent areas, the street and the character of the surrounding neighbourhood. VII. The effect on the local character of the area. VIII. The proposed vehicular and pedestrian circulation patterns. IX. The integration of existing natural and built features of value. X. The maintenance requirements of the development.
Policy ENV33: Landscape Design
2008 Good landscape design is an integral part of urban design and the Council will require, where appropriate, planning applications proposing development in the locations described in policy ENV32 to be supported by full details of external layout and landscape proposals. (b) In addition, development proposals meeting any of the following criteria will also be required to be supported by full details of external layout and
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landscape proposals:- 2009 Land which the Council is expected to adopt. II. Development sites containing natural and built features the Council requires to be retained or enhanced. III. Residential/ nursing homes where residents would benefit from the sensory stimulation provided by a landscape scheme and who are not in a position to secure it for themselves. IV. Larger development proposals. Policy ENV34: Public Art
The Council will require the provision of public art to enhance the quality and individuality of existing buildings, spaces or new development especially in the following locations:
2010 In public spaces and buildings. II. In important and prominent locations. III. In larger scale developments or refurbishments.
SPD – Design Guide (Will be ready around December 2005)
Dudley
DD1 URBAN DESIGN
All development will be required to apply principles of good urban design. Proposals should: • keep and improve all useful and appropriate vehicular and pedestrian routes and provide new ones that make movement easier, through and within the built up area; • make it safer and easier for people to find their way around by emphasizing elements of the street scene that people will use to help navigate; particularly corner sites, landmarks, street frontages and public spaces; • clearly differentiate between the private area of the proposal and public frontage and space; • contribute to an appropriate range and mix of land uses in the area; • make a positive contribution to the appearance of the area with appropriate massing, bulk, height, orientation, materials, detailing and colour, and ensure that its appearance is appropriate to its use and pecializing as such; • have the potential to be long lived and adaptable for future changes of use
including consideration of changing needs of any occupants; • make good and efficient use of natural resources for building and landscaping including the retention of existing natural and manmade features of value and efficient energy use; and • have regard to the availability of water resources and the potential for water efficiency measures; and [2] • demonstrate a positive contribution towards safety and security in the environment. Where appropriate, the applicant will be required to provide supporting information to demonstrate how these objectives have been taken into account.
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DD3 DESIGN OF MAJOR RETAIL DEVELOPMENT
All retail development will be required to: • have active elevations to public areas which are in scale and proportion with the streetscene in which it is contained; • provide for safe and easy movement for all; • provide service areas which are not prominent in views from the street or other public areas; and • include care facilities where appropriate.
DD4 DEVELOPMENT IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS
Residential development, extensions and/or alterations to existing buildings and other non-residential development will only [4] be allowed where:
• there would be no adverse effect on the character of the area or upon residential amenity; • the scale, nature and intensity of use of the proposed development would be in keeping with the surrounding area; • no detrimental effect upon highway safety would result and adequate provision for the parking and manoeuvring of vehicles associated with the proposed development is made whilst preserving the character and amenity of the area; • there would be no significant loss of dwellings in the area or loss of land needed for new housing; • a community service or environmental benefit to local residents would be provided; and where justified [5] ; and • it does not conflict with other Plan policies. Detailed Guidance explains how this policy will be applied to the various categories of new build and alterations or extensions. DD5 DEVELOPMENT IN INDUSTRIAL AREAS
Within industrial areas proposals for development will be required to: • maintain or enhance the character and environmental quality of the area in terms of scale, design and intensity of use; • respect, safeguard and enhance any feature of environmental, historic or social interest and to contribute positively to the qualities or character of the area; • safeguard the viability and environmental quality of adjacent industrial and commercial areas; • safeguard the amenity and environmental quality of adjacent residential areas; and
• provide adequate arrangements for the parking and maneuvering of vehicles associated with the proposed development in a way which preserves the character and environmental quality of the area ; and • it does not conflict with other plan policies [6] Infrastructure needs of development proposals will be assessed on their individual merits and where appropriate the Council will seek to enter into planning obligations by agreements with developers to meet the requirements of statutory undertakers and drainage and highway engineers.
DD9 PUBLIC ART
The Council will promote the creation of new works of art as part of the enhancement of the built environment and the open landscapes of the borough: • in public spaces and buildings; • in important and prominent townscape and landscape locations; • which increase the diversity of initiatives and range of locations in the borough;
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and/or • that widen the involvement of all members of the community in public art. The Council will operate a voluntary scheme, in line with the Council’s Public Art Strategy, where developers set aside a proportion of the their costs for works of art complementary to or integrated within that development.
Planning Guidance Note No 3 – New Housing Development Planning Guidance Note No 4 – Retail Development
Sandwell
Policy UD1. – GENERAL URBAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES
The Council will expect all new developments to be of good quality design and constructed of high quality materials. The Council will reject poor designs, particularly those designs that are inappropriate in their locality, for example, those clearly out of scale or incompatible with their surroundings
Particular regard will be paid to how the development relates to the street, its relationship with the public realm, the ease with which the public are able to move through and around the development, and the nature and height of any buildings and their effect on the surrounding urban area. The Council will also encourage the innovative use of pecializi and the natural habitat where appropriate.
The Council will produce and adopt relevant design guidance to assist all applicants when applying for planning permission. In addition, the design of the urban form must incorporate appropriate security and safety measures in accordance with Policy UD3 – Security and Safety, and the Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) – Community Safety.
Policy UD2. – DESIGN STATEMENTS
All applications for planning permission within the following areas must include a Design Statement containing both written and illustrative material:
Town and district centres; Adjacent to major junctions and nodes; Gateways; Transport Corridors; Conservation Areas and Areas of Townscape Value; Sandwell Valley.
The Council will also use conditions and planning obligations, where appropriate, to secure a high quality of design
Policy UD3. SECURITY AND SAFETY
All applications for new development will be assessed in accordance with the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, and against the guidance contained in Government Circular 5/94 and other policies within the Development Plan. Applications for new or refurbished schemes for residential or commercial properties will need to be considered against the criteria set out in “Secured By Design”, a guidance document produced by the Association of Chief Police Officers.
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The Council will also work in conjunction with the Police, in particular, the Police Architectural Liaison Officer, when considering any proposals for new development.
As set out by Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the Council and Police will work together to take into account the reduction of crime when considering all planning matters.
The Council will also work with the Sandwell Community Safety Unit to prepare Supplementary Planning Guidance on Community Safety.
Policy UD4. – URBAN SPACES
The Council will expect any proposal for a large development* to pay particular regard to its setting within the urban fabric and its relationship to the public realm. Consideration should be given to: improving the quality of the urban fabric; the provision of an attractive, manageable, useable and accessible public space; the provision of a safe and secure environment, preferably with natural surveillance; the provision of public art where appropriate; the creation of a lively relationship between the building and the street that is of a human scale; the protection, enhancement or provision of natural habitats.
Policy UD5. LANDMARK BUILDINGS
The Council will identify and protect landmark buildings within the Borough.
In circumstances where these buildings are likely to be lost through redevelopment, the Council will expect a high quality landmark building as a replacement.
Policy UD6. – PUBLIC ART
The Council will encourage an element of public art to be provided as part of any large development, in accordance with Sandwell’s Framework for Public Art and the Percent for Art Policy.
The Council will also encourage the use of S106 Agreements and planning conditions as mechanisms for obtaining public art through the planning application process, as well as integrating public art into the public realm through site specific and strategic public art proposals.
A requirement for public art will also be included within Development Briefs and all large proposals promoted by the Council.
Consultation with artists and companies for the inclusion of Public Art within appropriate schemes will be encouraged.
SPG - Residential Design – Gives guidance on the design of new residential developments
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Trends Current
Trends Future
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WASTE / RECYCLING
Baseline
For MSW Dudley and Wolverhampton have invested in new Energy from Waste plants which take all their arisings and meet the recovery targets by generating electricity but they do not contribute to recycling or composting targets. Sandwell and Walsall rely on landfill for their MSW and will have to make major investment decisions in the near future if they are to avoid heavy penalties under the governments policy to implement the European Directive on diverting biodegradable waste from landfill.
There is limited availability of landfill capacity in the sub-region and haulage of heavy bulky material is expensive. There is limited capacity at Rowley Regis in Sandwell; Oak Farm in Dudley and at 2 former clay sites in Walsall. Biffa have a major facility for processing industrial and commercial waste in West Bromwich.
The introduction of escalating taxes on disposal and taxes on primary aggregate are making landfill a less attractive option. The disposal of contaminated soils has become very expensive since July 2004 with the introduction of the Landfill Directive and the introduction of the Waste Acceptance Criteria in July 2005 has limited the ability of licensed facilities to accept and process material.
Benchmark against Known Statistics
The situation and projections for each waste stream in each of the 4 authorities is set out in a series of tables at the end of the section. The tables are taken from work commissioned by the RTAB on the facilities required to process waste arising in the region on the basis of known legislative change.
Trends Current
The quantities of MSW arising are generally related to household formation. As the population in the Black Country is falling the pattern of 3% growth per annum in MSW arisings is not being followed.
Advantage WM has experienced the difficulty of reclaiming contaminated land with the preparation on the i54 site and, together with RIG, has established a ‘Brownfield Land’ Working Party to bring together all those who can contribute to the delivery of suitable sites to achieve the policy targets.
Future
The redevelopment and regeneration of the Black Country will involve major demolition and ground engineering operations. The impact will be on all land uses; residential; industrial; commercial and current open space (which may have had buildings previous on it.
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The RSS proposes a major shift in the pattern of development in the region and it is therefore difficult to calculate the quantities of waste which will arise from the construction and redevelopment process. Greenfield development which has accounted for the majority of recent development in the sire counties primarily generates soils and topsoil as spoil which cen either be used on site or easily disposed off on other development sites or used to reclaim despoiled land. Urban redevelopment, which will account for the majority of new development sites if the policies in the RSS are to be achieved generates very different wastes.
The redevelopment process involves two separate products; the above ground structures and the ground itself. The demolition material from the above ground structures can either go to landfill; be used on site as sub-base; be processed as secondary aggregate and reused on site or sold off-site. The ground may be suitable for redevelopment or it may need to be re- engineered because either it is structurally unsuitable for the new development because it may have been filled in the past or it is contaminated because of previous activities. The consolidation of weak ground can involve activities just on the site or may require structurally stable material to be imported. The cleaning of contaminated land can take place on-site or off-site depending on the contamination and the time available.
Based on the change in house building in the region the RTAB has made an estimate of the potential arisings of construction and demolition waste. It would be reasonable to assume that
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similar changes will occur in the wastes arising from the delivery of employment sites in the region as those anticipated for housing.
Work being undertaken by WRAP (Waste Recycling Action Programme – a Defra Agency) on the economics of secondary aggregates in the former West Midlands County is indicating that the market for this material is likely to stabilise at about 25 – 30% of aggregate demand and that in heavily built-up areas the economic viability of such operations will be for material to arise and be marketed within 2 to 3 miles of a treatment facility. A typical new house requires about 50 tonnes of aggregate in its construction.
The volume of activity and scale of construction and demolition recycling is difficult to estimate because it falls into two categories. On site recycling using mobile plant and equipment and off-site process using largely fixed plant and equipment. The mobile plant and equipment is licensed by the local council at Its home depot and can operate anywhere in the country without making a return on the level of use or the volume of material processed. Static construction and demolition recycling sites are licensed by the Environment Agency and need to make regular returns on their level of activity.
ODPM undertake a bi-annual survey of construction and demolition activity but because of the difficulty in collecting returns on the level of activity it is accepted as being statistically reliable at national and possibly at regional level but not at sub-regional or local level. The National Waste Data working party led by Defra is working on a more comprehensive data collection but reliable information in this field will be some years off.
There are in the Black Country and on its boundaries within the 2 – 3 mile catchment radius a number of established recycling specializing in construction and demolition material. Some of these facilities occupy visually prominent sites on the main communication corridors in the sub-region.
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DUDLEY
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SANDWELL
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WALSALL
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WOLVERHAMPTON
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WATER Benchmarks against known standards
The table below shows that water quality in the Black Country has shown a significant improvement since 1990.
General Quality Assessment Grades (chemical) for Black Country rivers and canals
Water Quality has improved from 24.78% of fair or better quality in 1990 to 67.22% in the fair or better in 2003. The percentage classified bad quality has also shown a marked decrease from 15.65% to 2.04%. This is even better than the results for the Midlands as a whole, were the percentage of best quality rivers has doubled and the percentage of poorest quality rivers has almost halved since 1990.
Water Quality in terms of Environment Agency General Quality Assessment (Chemical) grades for the Black Country
1990 2003 Grade Length (m) % Length (m) % B 6203.41 2.97 13694.85 6.55 C 7750.01 3.70 23549.58 11.26 D 37891.75 18.11 103374.95 49.41 E 81149.16 38.79 62608.04 29.93 F 32752.06 15.65 4257.97 2.04 No values 43468.36 20.78 1729.33 0.83 Total 209214.73 100.00 209214.73 100.00
A grade -very good, Grade B -good, grade C fairly good, grade D- fair, Grade E- poor, Grade F bad
The Average rainfall in the West Midlands is 719mm per year (1961 to 1990) Average that is well below the England and Wales Average. Many river catchments and groundwater units in the west midlands are approaching the limit of sustainable abstraction whereby further resource exploitation would lead to general environmental degradation. Many locations in the west midlands are closed to further abstraction on sustainability grounds. Supplies to support new development may need pumping from distant abstraction points and connection with supply and disposal infrastructure
Flood warnings issued in 2004 and 2005
2004 2005 (until July 05) Flood watch 5 5 FW1 6 1 FW2 2 FW3 1 Severe
Key Flood watch is the lowest state of alert and severe the highest Flood risk is an issue in the Black Country, but because it is at the headwaters of two rivers the risks are comparatively low and may be quite different in different parts of the sub region.
Water Framework Directive-key pressures.
Pressures on the Watercourses within the Black Country.(analysis for Water Framework Directive).
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An analysis of the key pressures on watercourses has been made for the characterisation phase of the Water Framework directive. These are likely to be the most common reasons for watercourses failing to achieve the required quality.
For two of the key watercourses within the Black Country, the River Tame and River Stour, the following were determined to be the highest priority:
Risks from Urban Sources of Pollution Risk from toxic and Silt Components in Road Runoff. Risk of Diffuse sources of Nitrogen from Land. Risk from Morphological Alteration (weirs/ culverts etc) Risk from potentially harmful metals.
From the Groundwater point of view there is also a risk of failure from Chlorinated Solvents.
Trends Current
Water Quality is improving
Flood Risk is being managed
Water Resources are sufficient for the current population and current proposed housing growth.
Trends Future
The Water companies have water resource plan up to 2030. These plans are based on the current housing figure for the region. If the actual number of new houses is significantly greater than the ones used in the plan then these plans may need to be revised in light of the new housing figures.
There is currently work ongoing in AMP 4 to improve a significant number of unsatisfactory sewer overflows in the Black Country and other work to improve the quality of domestic wastewater discharges. A significant increase in addition wastewater may require additional wastewater infrastructure for the Black Country area.
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CLIMATE CHANGE: (NB: the above topics also deal with climate change issues e.g. in air quality and energy)
There is now a body of scientific evidence indicating that man-made greenhouse gases are having a demonstrable effect on the earth’s climate.
"We have a role to play and a responsibility to reduce emission-through all sectors, including business and industry, transport, as well as the public sector-nationally, regionally and locally, and as individuals.” Margaret Beckett
The greenhouse effect The overall balance between energy coming in from the sun in the form of visible radiation (sunlight), and energy constantly being emitted from the surface of the earth to space, determines the temperature of the earth. Sunlight can pass through the atmosphere almost unchanged and warm the earth. The infrared radiation emanating from the earth’s surface is partly absorbed by gases in the atmosphere while some of it is re-emitted downwards. This further warms the surface of the earth and the lower atmosphere. The gases that do this naturally are mainly water vapour and carbon dioxide. An analogy is made with the effect of a greenhouse which allows sunshine to penetrate the glass that in turn keeps the heat in – hence the greenhouse effect.
Without this natural greenhouse effect the earth would be over 30ºC cooler and large parts of the world would be too cold to be habitable. But as greenhouse gas concentrations rise well above their pre-industrial levels, the additional warming that will take place will change the global climate and could threaten the future sustainability of the planet.
Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas but there are many others, the most important of which are methane, nitrous oxide and the hydrofluorocarbons.
UK contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions In 1995 the UK was responsible for about 2.2% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, with emissions of just under ten tonnes of carbon dioxide per capita (over twice the world average). Between 1990 and 2000 UK greenhouse gas emissions fell, largely as a result of coal-fired power stations being replaced by new gas-fired ones. However, unless there are renewed efforts to mitigate emissions, they are projected to rise again as the result of factors such as continuing economic growth and the retirement of some nuclear power stations.
Energy supply, use of energy in buildings and transport are key areas for mitigating emissions. All of these areas are influenced by the land use planning system.
The West Midlands Climate
The climate is changing. Global temperatures ‘A greater threat than world terrorism’ are on the rise and the last decade was the warmest since records began. The impact of Sir David King, the Government’s Chief Scientific these changes for the West Midlands will Adviser has said that “climate change is the most include warmer, wetter winters; hotter, drier severe problem that we are facing today—more summers; and an increased chance of extreme serious even than the threat of terrorism” weather conditions. The results of climate change and global warming Climate change is thought to be linked to our will include flooding, drought and hunger affecting use of fossil fuels and the greenhouse gases millions of people around the world. In Britain, (like carbon dioxide) they produce. The Kyoto the number of people at high risk of flooding is Protocol was the start of an international move expected to more than double over the next 75 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The UK years. is now committed to reducing its carbon dioxide levels over the next half century Source: Climate Change Science: Adapt, Mitigate, or Ignore? David A. King. Science Magazine, January 2004
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A Sustainable Future for the West Midlands A Regional Sustainable Development Framework Version One January 2005 The impacts of climate change, as outlined within the Climate Change Strategy 2004 and the Potential Impacts of Climate Change in the West Midlands (Jan 2004), will increase in severity.
Changing weather patterns will effect the environment of the region. Water will need to be used more efficiently, whilst the frequency of severe weather events, including flooding, is likely to increase.
This means a high priority must be placed on mitigating the long-term impacts of climate change by minimising greenhouse gas emissions. Meaning that it would be advisable for new developments to adopt, at the very least, ‘low carbon’ and ideally ‘zero carbon’ standards.
A number of objectives have been drawn up to address the impacts of climate change. These include a reduction in vehicle movements, an increase in the use of public transport, promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, and reduced instances of pollution.
The Regional Energy Strategy sets out four principles for addressing climate change issues to 2020, including;
rethinking the way we use energy.
meeting supply from within the Region.
energy for all (ensuring everyone can afford to heat their home).
growing the economy (making use of the Region’s technological capabilities).
Strategies, such as the West Midlands Regional Forestry Framework seek to mitigate against some of the causes and effects of climate change by promoting the concept of trees as carbon sinks, the management of woodlands, and it also seeks to improve biodiversity. This would be achieved by protecting and enhancing existing wildlife sites and habitats, and protecting ancient, historic landscapes through improved approaches to management.
Environmental Objectives (climate change) from SA / SEA of The Black Country Study 2005
The United Kingdom Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) and the UKCIP02 Scenarios.
UKCIP is the key source for up-to-date information on climate change and climate impact scenarios in the UK. Advice is provided on how to deal with the uncertainty associated with climate change impacts. UKCIP02 Scenarios show potential impacts of climate change on the UK over the next 100 years. These scenarios are Low emissions, Medium – Low emissions, medium – High emissions and High emissions relating to four future global emissions of greenhouse gases..
The UK Climate Impact Programme 02 reports that the UK climate will become warmer by between 1 to 2 0C by the 2050s and by up to 3.5 0C by the 2080s. Higher summer temperatures will become more frequent and very cold winters will become increasingly rare. Winters will become wetter and summers may become drier everywhere. The occurrence of heavy winter precipitation will increase.
In January 2005, the Environment Minister reported that:
We have had the warmest 10 years on record since the 1990s We have had double the extreme weather incidence in the last 10 years We have to take all steps necessary in terms of reducing risks to people
There will be changes to both average and extreme weather conditions, with increased variability and the risk of increased unpredictability. Winters will be warmer and wetter; and summers will be hotter and drier. Extreme rainfall events with increased risk of flooding are predicted. These extreme events may happen twice as often by 2080. The urban heat island effect will be intensified.
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Other key problems include impacts on health, water quality, biodiversity, cultural heritage and other environmental assets.
The Scoping Report on Climate Change in the West Midlands has the following key messages:
Warwickshire and the south-east of the West Midlands are expected to warm up more than Shropshire and the north-west of the region. Summer rainfall may decrease by up to 30% by the 2050s. Cloud amounts are expected to decline overall. Potentially dramatic changes in soil moisture with possible falls of up to 35% in the south-east of the region by 2050s.
Climate Change effects can only be dealt with through multiple actions. In order to be able to respond, we need to:
Understand impacts Undertake mitigation Adapt
Overall, we should aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all cases. The Government’s Energy paper sets an ambitious target to reduce UK CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050. These mitigation measures aim to reduce problems for future generations. Second, we will need to ensure that enough “adaptation measures” are in place to deal with present and future impacts. Climate change will impact on every business and cannot be treated as a marginal issue. As a beginning, Sustainability West Midlands (SWM) Climate Change Partnership has started a rolling programme of projects designed to deliver adaptation plans in partner organisations.
From The Planning Response to Climate Change Advice on better practice.
Five key points on how to effect the urgent Action needed to address climate change.
• Act now: The impacts of climate change are not remote risks for sometime in the future, they are already with us and we need to respond now.
• Make the links: Many of the actions required in response to climate change can be justified for other reasons. For example, conserving water resources is an immediate environmental and economic necessity. Consequently, on many issues planning policy-makers need not be constrained by the uncertainty associated with some future climate change impacts.
• Spread the word: Elected members, local authority officers, developers and the public need to be aware of the impacts of climate change and how to adapt to it and avert future climate change.
• Make the best use of existing tools: Environmental Appraisal (EA) and Sustainability Appraisal (SA) can be effective tools for ensuring climate change is addressed in planning policy.
• Make effective use of existing instruments: Planners have available instruments such as conditions, agreements, obligations and informatives, all of which can be used to respond to climate change.
The role of Current good practice Climate change has only been taken into account in planning policy and practice in recent years. There are only a small number of developments that have systematically addressed mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and a handful that have attempted to take into account adaptation to climate change impacts. Insufficient time has elapsed to evaluate whether these few forward thinking
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examples of developments, planning policy and practice are actually ‘best practice’ and are useful approaches. But it must be recognised that best practice is still evolving.
The interconnectedness of many of these topics must be recognised.
Appraisal A Climate-Sensitive Development Checklist could be incorporated into Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) or into a wider sustainable development checklist to be used by development control officers. e.g. 1) Are new developments adapted to current and potential future climate change impacts. 2) Mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
There is a key role of SA and EA in assessing development plans, LDFs, RPG and RSSs for climate change considerations.
The application of EIA in addressing climate change considerations.
Three environmental assessment and accreditation systems for buildings are available, The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), The Building research Establishment Environmental Assessment Model (BREEAM) and EcoHomes.
Implementation LPA and RPB have roles in influencing decisions and alerting and informing the public and developers about the need to respond to climate change.
The Planning Response to Climate change Advice on Better Practice ODPM September 2004
Priorities for adaptation strategies for Climate Change are ;- Improved water resource management Flood defence programmes Enhanced resilience of buildings and infrastructure Management of wildlife, forestry and agriculture Co-ordinated approaches to planning Awareness raising of climate change impacts; and Improved long term and short term risk prediction
Potential UK adaptation strategies for Climate Change. Environmental Resources management 2000
Examples of actions to help address climate change that will be required include:-
Climate proofing buildings including Permeability of site Location of buildings Site layout to incorporate e.g. passive solar gain / cooling Provision of sustainable drainage systems SUDS, Green roofs Utilisation of low carbon standards for development Use of high energy efficiency standards Renewable energy systems Provision of shading
Biodiversity requires room to adapt and hence connectivity of semi-natural habitats is needed to allow species to adapt to climate change by dispersal.
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Action being taken to tackle climate change The UK's Climate Change Programme
The UK's Climate Change Programme was published in November 2000. It details how the UK plans to deliver its Kyoto target to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5%, and move towards its domestic goal to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2010.
Action taken in the UK throughout the 1990s has significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The Government and the devolved administrations are continuing this positive approach with a substantial programme of integrated policies and measures to:
improve business's use of energy, stimulate investment and cut costs; stimulate new, more efficient sources of power generation; cut emissions from the transport sector; promote better energy efficiency in the domestic sector; improve energy efficiency requirements of the Building Regulations; continue the fall in emissions from agriculture and forestry; ensure the public sector takes a leading role.
Details of how this is going to be achieved can be found in the Climate Change: the UK Programme.
Many of the policies in the Climate Change Programme are implemented by other government departments, for example, polices on renewables are implemented by the Department of Trade and Industry and the climate change levy by HM Customs and Excise.
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CROSS-CUTTING IMPLICATIONS AND LINKAGES OF THE ENVIRONMENT WORK
In scoping the various environmental areas of work, it has become apparent that there are strong linkages between not only the environmental areas of work but also between these areas and the other major themes within the Black Country Study (BCS). There are implications for the spatial framework and policy formation and also for the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Study. It is also clear that there are major implications for both the physical and mental health and well-being of the Black Country’s residents.
The extent to which these linkages and impacts are identified and the extent to which they are integrated within the spatial framework and policy formulation will be important. It is vital that the spatial framework and policy component of the BCS perform well when Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment are carried out. This will be more likely if the linkages and impacts are integrated at the outset.
In order to illustrate the inter-connectedness of issues we have taken the option of repeating the text.
The issues are not ranked or prioritised.
Key: H Housing theme linkage T Transport theme linkage E Economy theme linkage C Centres theme linkage
Level of effect (relative in terms of scale).
BC Black Country WM West Midlands UK United Kingdom
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LAND USE & LANDSCAPE ISSUES
These largely relate to Open Space, Canals, Biodiversity, Heritage and the Historic Environment and Urban Design. There are strong links to Pollution and Energy issues and related health and lifestyles. There is a strong cross-over with culture, leisure and tourism. Development has the potential to impact both negatively and positively.
Themes Acknowledge that economy and employment, housing, transport and centres themes are intimately linked with E H C T environmental quality. This quality is the result of the many types of open space for example from playing fields to allotments, the canal network together with rivers and streams, the biodiversity that exists within it and the historic and industrial heritage which has been left to us. Air quality, amenity and accessibility are important factors in the recognition of this quality. UK The loss of, reduction in the area of and the lowering of the quality of environmental assets with an increase in E H C T development related to the four themes as above. WM The need to achieve the appropriate integration of development with the protection, conservation and enhancement of E H C T environmental assets by avoiding, reducing, compensating and mitigating impacts. WM Protection and enhancement of open space, critical environmental capital, wildlife corridors and constant H E T C environmental assets. BC Housing, economy and employment, transport and centres must contribute towards the achievement of Accessible Natural H E T C Green Space and Local Nature Reserve standards as defined by English Nature. WM Housing, economy and employment, transport and centres must contribute towards the achievement of H E T C environmental improvements within and outside the Biodiversity Enhancement Areas as proposed by RPG11, the Regional and Birmingham & Black Country Biodiversity Action Plan targets, and the Regional Forestry Strategy and Framework targets.
WM Multi-functionality of open space must be retained, encouraged and enhanced across the range of types of space. Green Space Strategies, Community Strategies and urban design must play an important role. BC
Urban Design must make a full contribution to bullets 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 and to overall environmental improvements and H E T C the preparation of Green Space Strategies. BC Future development and regeneration must play a full role in the delivery of bullets 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. E H C T
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WM The development of tourism and the further development of culture and leisure opportunities are reliant on the E T C H existing and future range and quality of land use, landscape and open space, and the complete range of environmental assets. WM The features described above will be the backbone of the Black Country Urban Park. WM The monitoring and collection of relevant information for all the Black Country’s environmental assets is a significant issue.
BC
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POLLUTION ISSUES
These relate to the air quality and contaminated land topics and are also intimately linked to energy use. There are strong relationships to waste and recycling, water, biodiversity, open space and urban design issues. Climate change, health and lifestyles are strongly related. Policy and implementation relating to transport, economy and employment, housing, the role of centres and culture and leisure have the potential to impact significantly on pollution issues.
Themes The UK government is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 60% and create a low carbon economy by H T E C 2050. Kyoto agreements (1997) require the UK to attain a greenhouse gas emission reduction of 12.5% on average in 2008 – 2012, compared to 1990 levels. In addition, the UK has set its own goal for CO2 emission reduction at 20% below the 1990 level by 2010. This equates for transport to 5.6m tons of carbon (4m tons from increased efficiency and 1.6m tons from alternatives.) UK The main issues for improvements to air quality and helping to tackle climate change in the Black Country relate to H T E C transport and energy use. One quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions result from transport. Transport related emissions are forecast to rise by a further 25% by 2020 (Energy Savings Trust). Given current technology and reliance on the same fuel use, change which results in increased road traffic and journeys will increase these emissions. Action to tackle climate change will be prejudiced. Architecture (the built environment) is responsible for 45% of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions.
WM Road transport is responsible for 50% of certain smog forming pollutants in the UK, such as NOX, NO2 and PM10s. Up to T 24,000 premature deaths result from poor air quality in the UK. There will also be human health effects from increases in NO2 such as eye - nose - throat irritation, lung impairment and respiratory infections.
UK
The URGENT Programme Urban Trees and Air Quality Study carried out in the West Midlands has calculated that T doubling the number of trees could bring about a reduction of 140 deaths annually by reducing the amount of air- borne particles (PM10s) (Fowler et al, CEH, Edinburgh). WM Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA have been identified in the Black Country to date (2 in Dudley, the Whole area of T Sandwell, 5 in Walsall and the Whole area of Wolverhampton). These have been declared on the basis of standards for NO2 being exceeded. Road traffic is the source of this pollutant. Each council must have a timescaled Action Plan to achieve the standards within each AQMA.
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BC Point source emissions from IPPC registered premises and LAPPC premises are routinely monitored, whilst councils know E locally about nuisance industry. BC Good urban design through the provision of soft landscaping can act to help reduce pollution by fixing carbon and H C E T removing particulates from the atmosphere. This thereby benefits opens space, biodiversity and landscape, and helps to contribute to healthy lifestyles and action to tackle climate change.
BC In terms of economy and employment, there are likely to be opportunities for involvement in the development of E technologies to reduce or eliminate emissions to air or to alleviate greenhouse gas emissions.
WM Appreciate and understand the difference between the legal definition of “contaminated land” and that which is E H contaminated or potentially so. There is also derelict land which may or may not be contaminated. WM The basic premise is that future land use or end use needs to be matched to past land use. In terms of E H development and regeneration, certain end uses may be ruled out. On-site remediation is the preferred option.
BC A range of data on contaminated land exists across the four Black Country councils but this is not necessarily compatible. BC
Knowledge that land may be contaminated can bring about a negative and blight effect on areas. H E C
BC Common standards across councils need to be adopted to avoid the dirty option being the lowest common E H C denominator. BC Methane produced by landfill sites could act as an energy source, but at the same time is also regarded as a pollutant and E H is one of the main greenhouse gases. BC
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ENERGY ISSUES
These are intimately linked to climate change, health and lifestyles issues. There are strong relationships to air quality, waste and recycling, contaminated land and urban design issues. Policy and implementation relating to transport, economy and employment, housing, the role of centres and culture and leisure have the potential to impact significantly on these issues.
Themes The UK Energy Strategy has 4 goals: cutting UK CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050 with real progress by 2020; H T E C maintaining reliability of energy supplies; promoting competitive energy markets; ensuring every home is adequately and affordably heated. UK The UK government is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 60% and to create a low carbon economy by H T E C 2050. Kyoto agreements (1997) require the UK to attain a greenhouse gas emission reduction of 12.5% on average in 2008 – 2012, compared to 1990 levels. In addition, the UK has set its own goal for CO2 emission reduction at 20% below the 1990 level by 2010. This equates for transport to 5.6m tons of carbon (4m tons from increased efficiency and 1.6m tons from alternatives.). The Carbon Vision for the UK also envisages a 50% carbon reduction in buildings by 2030.
UK The WM Regional Energy Strategy re-emphasises the above commitments. The scale of the above commitments H T E C means that transport, domestic, services and industry sectors will all need to make a strong contribution to reduce carbon emissions. WM Transport and energy are significant issues. One quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions result from transport. Transport T E H C related emissions are forecast to rise by a further 25% by 2020 (Energy Savings Trust). Given current technology and reliance on the same fuel use, change which results in increased road traffic and journeys will increase these emissions. Action to tackle climate change will be prejudiced.
UK Energy conservation and increases of efficiency for domestic and non-domestic uses must increase, as must the T E H C use of energy from renewables, across all sectors.
WM The location and scale of fuel poverty within the Black Country needs to be established. Sandwell is one of 5 pilot H areas being trialled within the Warm Zones Pilot Programme. Research estimates that 14,000 homes in Sandwell alone suffer from severe – extreme fuel poverty (about 35 % of all homes). BC
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Reduce energy consumption in all sectors. H T E C UK Substitute carbon neutral forms of energy production for pollution generating forms including alternatives e.g. solar, wind, E T H biomass and landfill gas. UK Architecture (the built environment) is responsible for 45% of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions. Two way energy supply from H E C home generation (i.e. small scale solar and wind turbines) will become an increasing option.
UK Extract more useful energy from the fuels that are used. T H E UK
Produce goods and services with lower levels of energy per unit of output. E UK Promote local energy solutions, for example at a neighbourhood level. C H E T WM Business opportunities will be created by the scale of the changes required, such as the manufacture, installation and E T maintenance of renewable energy and low carbon schemes from draught excluders to combined heat and power plants. The regional strength in transport technologies could benefit. The academic strengths of the region could be used to support innovative energy technologies. The Black Country needs to learn to benefit from this potential.
WM Good urban design through the provision of soft landscaping can act to help reduce pollution by fixing carbon and removing C H E T particulates from the atmosphere. This thereby benefits opens space, biodiversity and landscape, and helps to contribute to healthy lifestyles and action to tackle climate change. BC
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WATER ISSUES
These have major implications for housing, economy and employment and transport. There are strong links with biodiversity, canals, contaminated land, waste and recycling, open space and urban design.
Themes In simple terms, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes that water bodies (rivers, streams, canals, lakes, pools E H T etc.) and groundwater should be restored to good ecological status or good ecological potential by 2015. Many of the Black Country’s water bodies are likely to be classified as “Heavily Modified” which means that good ecological potential and good chemical water status will have to be achieved.
UK
The WFD has also introduced the concept of the river basin management planning system whereby a holistic approach to the management of river catchments will be introduced. River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) will be prepared and will supercede the Local Environment Action Plan (LEAP) approach. The Black Country straddles two major river catchments – the Severn and the Trent – and will be in two RBMPs UK .Future plans and policies, as well as future development, will have to integrate the approaches outlined in bullets 1 and 2 H E T and other standards within the WFD. Improvements in water quality are reaching the point of “the law of diminishing returns. The Asset Management Process (AMP) by which the water companies and EA define investment for environmental improvements will continue and other programmes of measures, such as planning obligations and Sect. 106 agreements, will need to be closely looked at in terms of the potential to deliver these improvements.
UK Moves are now being made towards the concept of Flood Risk Management and the sustainable management of flood H E C T plains, in line with the provisions of the WFD. Flood warning and risk zoning systems are being developed. There is significant potential for the development of a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment as defined by PPG25 for the Black Country as a whole. WM A good deal of the Black Country water course network is of a disrupted and hidden nature and has been subject to Victorian E H C T and subsequent “improvement”, largely due to a complicated industrial past. Physical improvements will be a major challenge. Water quality improvements have been made. BC The integration of Sustainable Drainage Systems within development needs to be promoted and encouraged in H E C order to deliver the higher standards being driven by the WFD. BC There will be valuable lessons to be learned from the Sustainable Management of Urban River Floodplains project H E T
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being carried out on the River Tame in association with the Environment Agency.
WM The EA is involved in the “Better Building Initiative” which is seeking to bring about sustainable construction methods. There H E is a target for a 25% reduction of water use in households, thereby increasing water use efficiency.
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WASTE & RECYCLING
Strong links exist with other topics including energy, water, contaminated land, air quality, and to some extent open space. There are obvious implications for domestic and non-domestic situations and even transport.
Themes The Waste Implementation Programme aims to meet the legally binding targets under Article Five of the EU H E Landfill Directive. The targets are: By 2010 to reduce biodegradable municipal waste landfilled to 75% of that produced in 1995; By 2013 to reduce biodegradable municipal waste landfilled to 50% of that produced in 1995; By 2020 to reduce biodegradable municipal waste landfilled to 35% of that produced in 1995. UK The Black Country Waste Management Forum (BCWMF) has been established as an umbrella organisation by E H C the four Black Country councils to focus dialogue on the convergence of waste management practices in pursuit of government targets and improved service delivery. If there is sufficient common ground, there will be the opportunity to establish a “road map” towards convergence in the long term (ENTEC Report 2003). A Black Country waste management strategy study is in preparation. WM BC The main issue relates to declining capacity for dealing with waste via the traditional route of landfill and the E H T higher standards for dealing with waste. Decisions on investment to create the extra capacity to deal with waste in the medium term are needed in the very short term. Exporting volumes of waste outside the Black Country is going to become more expensive. WM
The challenge for domestic and non-domestic uses will be to increase levels of waste minimisation, increase H E recycling rates from the current Black Country rate of about10%, increase composting rates, increasing the capacity to deal with waste by other sustainable means (such as re-use and repair and incineration). Achieving obligations from EU Directives will be a challenge e.g. EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment is transposed into UK law in August 2004. The Black Country recycling infrastructure will need to be improved. The government target is to recycle 30% of domestic waste by 2010. Reduce, re-use, recycle. UK
The creation of energy from waste is a key opportunity. This can be achieved in large or small-scale fashion. E H Incineration is a major method for waste disposal, however a balance is required; the need is to minimise the waste stream, not tie in with incineration so there is an incentive to keep waste levels up. The creation of energy from landfill gas (methane) is feasible and the development of small-scale combined heat and power plants e.g. using biomass.
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A key challenge is to create a market for the recycled products. This is a major business opportunity for the Black E Country. WM Overall, the key challenge will be to plan for waste management when increases in population, the number of H E T households, and the number of businesses are being promoted. BC
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