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Introduction

1.1 The Birmingham Development Plan 2031 (BDP) is the City's statutory planning framework guiding decisions on all development and regeneration activity to 2031. The BDP sets out how and where newhomes, jobs, services and infrastructure will be delivered and the type of places and environments that will be created.

1.2 The preparation of the BDP started in 2007 when the City Council decided that a new strategic planning document was needed to guide future growth and development. In Autumn 2008 a period of public consultation was held seeking views on a proposed strategy and range of options for delivering housing and economic growth. Following this consultation further work was carried out and in December 2010 a document entitled the Birmingham Core Strategy Consultation Draft was published.

1.3 As progress was being made in producing the final version of the BDP a number of significant changes occurred. The publication of the National Planning Policy Framework and the emergence of higher population projections required a review of how the City should plan for future development, which necessitated a further round of consultation to identify options for meeting the new challenges.

1.4 Between October 2012 and January 2013 a further options consultation on Planning for Birmingham's Growing Population was held. The outcomes of that consultation, along with all previous work and comments made during the past consultations have been drawn together to inform this presubmission version of the BDP.

1.5 Throughout all the consultations a wide range of people and organisations have been engaged to gain as many ideas and opinions as possible on how Birmingham could develop up to 2031.

New Street Station

New Street Station

1.6 In parallel with the stages of consultation a range of supporting evidence has been gathered to help inform the approach of the BDP. Also integral to the plan's preparation has been the Sustainability Appraisal which has ensured that the approach is the most appropriate given the reasonable alternatives and that the full social, environmental and economic effects have been considered. The Plan is also supported by a Habitats Regulation Assessment.

1.7 In developing the BDP, the City Council has worked with authorities which adjoin or are close to Birmingham and other organisations collaboratively through the Duty to Co-operate to seek to identify a way forward on those issues of a strategic nature that are of greater than local significance.

1.8 The BDP was submitted to the Secretary of State and considered at an Examination in Public in October/November 2014. This process has determined that the BDP:

  • Is consistent with national planning policy.
  • Meets the development and infrastructure needs of the City along with any needs from neighbouring areas where it is reasonable to do so.
  • Is consistent with achieving sustainable development.
  • Has considered all reasonable alternatives in producing the plan.
  • Is justified with evidence to support the approach taken in the Plan.
  • Has been prepared through joint working to address cross boundary issues.
  • Is deliverable.

1.9 While the BDP is intended to provide a long term strategy for the whole of the City it will not be able to provide all the detail necessary to guide all development. To support the delivery of the BDP a range of area and thematic based planning policy documents will be brought forward to provide more detail building upon the principles and strategy of the BDP. The City Council's Local Development Scheme will provide details of these documents with a schedule for their production.

1.10 The City Council has already adopted two Area Action Plans (AAP); Aston, Newtown and Lozells AAP and Longbridge AAP. A further AAP is in production for the Bordesley Park area. The City Council will also be producing a Development Management Development Plan Document (DPD) and has a range of Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) and Area Regeneration Frameworks.

1.11 The Big City Plan, launched in September 2010, sits alongside the BDP as a non-statutory document that sets out a vision and framework for how the City Centre will be transformed and the key proposals are reflected in the BDP.

Shoppers at the Bullring

Shoppers at the Bullring

1.12 The BDP will replace the saved policies of the Birmingham Unitary Development Plan 2005, with the exception of those policies contained within chapter 8 and paragraphs 3.14 to 3.14D of that plan which will continue in force until the adoption of the Council's proposed Development Management DPD. The BDP will also replace Policy ED1 of the adopted Aston, Newtown and Lozells AAP (July 2012).

Structure of the BDP

1.13 The BDP is divided into six parts:

  • Section 1 - provides an introduction to the BDP.
  • Section 2 - describes the key characteristics of the City and the challenges for the future to which the BDP responds.
  • Section 3 - sets out the vision, objectives and strategy for how the City will develop over the period to 2031.;
  • Section 4 and 5 - provides detail on how and where the future growth of the City will be delivered.
  • Section 6 to 9 - contains policies covering a range of topics to guide how future growth and development will be managed.
  • Section 10 and 11 - covers how the policies and proposals will be implemented and monitored. These provide a clear indication of how the BDP will be implemented and the indicators that will be used to measure its success.

1.14 There is an important emphasis on delivery and the BDP is accompanied by an Infrastructure
Delivery Plan (IDP).

Waheed Nazir
Strategic Director
Economy



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