Last chance for Stourbridge people to influence town centre plan (From Stourbridge News)
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Last chance for Stourbridge people to influence town centre plan
10:27am Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News
STOURBRIDGE people are being offered a last chance to influence plans for the future of the town centre.
A public consultation has begun on the Stourbridge Area Action Plan, which offers a wide-ranging vision for development around the High Street and ring road.
The consultation began this week will run until Monday November 12, the plan will then be submitted to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for examination.
It is expected the plan will be formally adopted by Dudley Council at the end of 2013 and will shape planning policy in the town until 2026.
The plan identifies the greatest design challenge in Stourbridge as improving links from the town centre to surrounding areas which are currently cut off by the ring road.
The plan says: "While the ring road functions relatively effectively in channelling traffic, the experience of the town is very much formed by its dominance and the effect it has in severing streets and constraining and redirecting pedestrian movement.
"This results in pedestrians being funnelled into subways under this busy multi-lane highway, some of which are of poor environmental quality."
The plan also calls for up to three more surface pedestrian crossings on the ring road and building to soften the visual impact of the road, which the report brands as a "robustly urban and vehicle dominated space".
Councillor Shaukat Ali, cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “The plans for the regeneration of Stourbridge town centre and the existing industrial areas on the northern edge of Stourbridge ring road will provide a welcome boost to the local economy and improve the environment for the benefit of all.
“I would encourage people to view the document to find out more and take part in what is shaping up to be a very exciting future for the town”
Copies of the plan can be viewed at all main public libraries and council offices in the borough or online in the planning section on Dudley Council's website.
People wishing to comment on the plan can do so online via the council's website or through Dudley's planning department.
Jeremy44 says...
11:51am Tue 2 Oct 12
Given that this is a rehash of plans and problems that have been identified for nearly 30 years and we've seen lots of complaining, little leadership, precious little progress and lots of stagnation...I won't hold my breath. People have worked whole careers and only seen Stourbridge go backwards....in the present climate it's not going to get better.