Sustainable Development at the Heart of the Plan
Sustainable Development is not just another name for environmental protection. It concerns all aspects of the UDP including regeneration, development and movement.
A widely quoted definition of Sustainable Development is: "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
From "Our common Future" the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission 1987).
All over the world, local communities are preparing action plans to promote sustainable development in their areas, often under the banner of Local Agenda 21. Our Borough is no exception. Last year, the Council in partnership with the community, produced a Local Agenda 21 consultation document called "Towards A Sustainable Environment". This document sets out what is being done and what could be done to help move our Borough towards a more sustainable environment. It specifically commits the Council to "Update the Unitary Development Plan to achieve a more sustainable pattern of development and minimise the need to travel."
The Council believes that to some extent, the existing UDP already encourages sustainable development; however, improvements could be made. The new UDP could have a part to play in achieving many of the objectives included in "Towards A Sustainable Environment" including, for example:-
- Energy Efficiency - through better designed and positioned houses and minimising the need to travel.
- Waste Management - through ensuring the adequate supply of sites for recycling and for integrated waste management.
- Health and Wellbeing - through helping create safe and secure communities, with access to good health and social care services.
- Transport and Access - through a range of policies aimed at reducing the need to travel and promoting alternatives to cars.
- Conserving the Built & Natural Environment - through a range of policies aimed at protecting and improving the Borough's environmental assets.
- Economic Land Use Development - by providing land for new homes, jobs and services that do not destroy the Borough's environmental assets and can be reached by public transport and combine a mix of well designed uses. Sustainable development also means that so called brownfield sites are used before greenfield sites.
- Improving Air Quality - by guiding new development to appropriate locations, reducing the need to travel and by promoting transport choice.
Sustainable Development means that we must not make short term decisions without considering the long term implications for future generations. Do you feel that there are long term problems that the Council is not considering?
These early documents relate to the preparation of the Dudley Unitary Development Plan and chart the stages and position of policy in the Plan at each stage of the review. They are intended for reference only and the content does not necessarily reflect the current state of play.
