Work Of The Black Country Study

EDM number 2249 in 2005-06, proposed by Adrian Bailey on 24/05/2006.

That this House welcomes the work of the Black Country Consortium and congratulates the work done by Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils, together with their private, public and voluntary sector partners, in producing the Black Country Study, the first-ever long-term strategic analysis of the economic opportunities and challenges faced by the region and for the 30 year vision it has set out and the unity of purpose it has developed to address them; notes the fantastic opportunities the area presents for the new retail and office development that will play a crucial role in supporting the area's economic, physical and community regeneration; recognises that the expansion of economic activity in the four strategic centres of Brierley Hill, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton together with strong supporting roles and economic growth in the traditional town centres such as Dudley and Stourbridge is the best way of driving up prosperity across the region as a whole; and urges the region's political, local government, business and community leaders to continue building support for the Regional Spatial Strategy review currently underway and developing strong partnerships to increase employment, to raise educational standards, to boost skills in the work force, to retain the area's population and share of retail expenditure and to continue improving housing standards, environment and transport networks to secure the Black Country's renaissance.

This motion has been signed by a total of 21 MPs.