LONGBRIDGE AREA ACTION PLAN COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE BASELINE REPORT CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER 1. INTRODUCTION 2. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES 3. DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES 4. PHYSICAL COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE 5. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE 6. RECOMMENDATIONS LONGBRIDGE AAP, COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE BASELINE REPORT 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Birmingham City Council, in association with Bromsgrove District Council, Worcestershire County Council, Advantage West Midlands, and the principal landowner St Modwen Properties PLC is developing an Area Action Plan (AAP) for the former MG Rover site and adjoining land at Longbridge. 1.2 To support the preparation of the Area Action Plan in accordance with ODPM guidance, an independent Sustainability Appraisal will be produced to accompany the Area Action Plan. Overview 1.3 The AAP is a type of Development Plan Document prepared under the new planning system that was introduced in 2004. It is a statutory land use plan to guide new development in areas of significant change. It will aim to stimulate regeneration and development, and resolve conflicting objectives. The AAP will consider the development potential of the site and identify the type and distribution of land uses on the site. 1.4 The site represents possibly the largest development opportunity in the Birmingham City region for many years. The loss of up to 6,000 direct jobs as a result of MG Rover going into administration has had a major effect on the economy of the city region. The aim of the AAP is therefore to ensure that the strategic redevelopment of the site is employment led but also provides the social and environmental revitalisation of South West Birmingham and North Worcestershire. 1.5 This particular document forms part of the baseline evidence for the Area Action Plan and is principally concerned with: • What community infrastructure components are required to create sustainable communities? • The range and scale of ‘community infrastructure’ within the immediate vicinity of the Longbridge AAP site. • What recommendations or guidance can be supplied to support the development of the Area Action Plan and its related community infrastructure? 1.6 ‘Community’ is often defined as referring to ‘communities of place’ (people living in a specific location) and ‘communities of interest’ (body of people with a particular interest LONGBRIDGE AAP, COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE BASELINE REPORT or shared practice). This report is concerned with better understanding both communities of place and interest within the Longbridge area. Study Focus 1.7 This report is essentially broken down into three elements: 1. An analysis of the key elements of sustainable communities, with particular reference to Central Government thinking on sustainable development. 2. An ‘audit’ of community infrastructure in the Longbridge area, which concentrates upon physical infrastructure which is important to local communities (e.g. education facilities, post offices, community buildings etc) and also a review of the various communities of interest which operate within the Longbridge area, including networks and groups. 3. Recommendations and future guidance related to the production and implementation of the Area Action Plan. 1.8 The AAP will need to be based on a robust analysis of the area and realistically assess its future prospects. This document only forms one element of the overall baseline analysis and technical reports and should be read in conjunction with the other supporting material. 1.9 The report broadly focuses upon an analysis of the Longbridge Context Area, which is detailed on Figure 1-1 below. This consists of a 1km buffer area around the Longbridge AAP site. Reference is also made fairly frequently to the Northfield Constituency area, which covers the Birmingham Wards of Longbridge, Weoley, Northfield and Kings Norton. LONGBRIDGE AAP, COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE BASELINE REPORT Figure 1-1 Longbridge Context Area LONGBRIDGE AAP, COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE BASELINE REPORT 2. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES 2.1 It is clear from Central Government policy, in particular work associated with the UK Sustainable Development Strategy (HM Government, 2005), that sustainable communities are fundamental to the delivery of sustainable development. The strategy states that: ‘Creating sustainable communities everywhere is a challenging task. It requires us to integrate the delivery of social, economic and environmental goals, to take a co- ordinated approach to delivering public services that work for everyone, including the most disadvantaged, and to think strategically for the long-term’. 2.2 At a local level, the sustainable communities agenda is driven by three strategic themes: • Balancing and integrating the social, economic and environmental components of communities; • Meeting the needs of existing and future generations • Respecting the needs of other communities in the wider realm Sustainable communities are defined as ‘places where people want to live and work, now and in the future. They meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, are sensitive to their environment, and contribute to a high quality of life. They are safe and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and offer equality of opportunity and good services for all’ (Securing the future: delivering UK sustainable development strategy (HM Government, 2005 p.121)). 2.3 It is also clear from national sustainable development policy, that sustainable communities should be: • Active, inclusive and safe – fair, tolerant and cohesive with a strong local culture and other shared community activities; • Well run – with effective and inclusive participation, representation and leadership • Environmentally sensitive – providing places for people to live that are considerate of the environment • Well designed and built – featuring a quality built and natural environment LONGBRIDGE AAP, COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE BASELINE REPORT • Well connected – with good transport services and communication linking people to jobs, schools, healthcare and other services • Thriving – with a flourishing and diverse local economy • Well served – with public, private, community and voluntary services that are appropriate to people’s needs and accessible to all • Fair for everyone – including those in other communities, now and in the future These eight sustainability themes are now explored in further detail below. 2.4 In terms of active, safe and secure communities, there is a real focus upon the development of communities which offer a sense of belonging and identity, cultural diversity, respect, co-operation, low levels of crime and anti-social behaviour, social inclusion and opportunities for cultural, leisure, community, sport and other activities, including for children, young people and senior citizens. 2.5 Government is also concerned that sustainable communities enjoy representative and accountable governance and effective neighbourhood involvement, including a focus upon building community capacity and developing local skills and knowledge. Effective partnerships are important as is a strong community / voluntary sector and a set of civic values. 2.6 Creating environmentally sensitive communities is an important challenge, particularly within the context of global warming and the ongoing drive to minimise carbon footprints. Attention needs to be paid to: • Supporting energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources • Minimising pollution • Minimising waste and disposing of material in a sensitive manner • Make efficient use of natural resources and encouraging sustainable production / consumption • Protect and improve bio-diversity • Enable active lifestyles which minimise negative environmental impacts • Create cleaner, safer and greener neighbourhoods 2.7 A key focus for sustainable communities is the creation of positive physical environments with a sense of place and well designed open spaces. Sustainable physical communities LONGBRIDGE AAP, COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE BASELINE REPORT also feature mixed-use development of an appropriate scale built to a high environmental quality and accessible services, public transport, and walking / cycling options. 2.8 The effective function of sustainable communities rests upon good transport and communication links. This translates to: • Promoting transportation options which help reduce dependence on cars and support walking and cycling • The provision of an appropriate level of car parking to manage traffic demand • Accessible and effective telecommunications and internet access • Good access to wider regional, national and international transport networks 2.9 It is also clear that supporting and developing the local economy is a key pillar of a sustainable community. This means supporting a wide range of quality jobs and training opportunities as well as developing an indigenous culture of enterprise and business creation. It also means providing the right mix of land and buildings to deliver the local economic vision. 2.10 To ensure the long-term success of sustainable communities, it is essential that they are well served by public, private, community and voluntary services. This translates to: • Well performing and well resourced pre-schools, schools, further and higher education facilities as well as opportunities for life-long learning • High quality local health care and social services, as well as integrated facilities • Good range of affordable public, community, voluntary and public services for all age groups and members of the community