Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

What do we
need to change?
Spatial Economy
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Protecting and enhancing our green infrastructure is central to securing
sustainable communities. Accessible networks of high-quality parks and
other green spaces that link urban and rural areas provide diverse benefits
to communities. The region should seek to create distinctive areas within
and between cities and towns, enhance biodiversity, provide opportunities
for leisure activities and deliver a sense of place and community.
Priority 3:
Creating sustainable places for people and business
This priority focuses on the need for the region to have a balanced
approach to the provision of homes and jobs to support economic growth
and regeneration. Sufficient high-quality, affordable and accessible
homes are required in the right locations to support the region’s labour
force. Equally, it is essential that the region secures the provision of
high-quality business infrastructure and premises to support the needs
of current and future businesses.
It is critical that the region’s key centres of development and change can
provide the amount and quality of housing, and create the economic
activity, business opportunities and wealth needed to benefit the whole
region. The refresh of the East of England Plan will consider how housing
provision can be reviewed beyond 2021 to address demographic,
affordability and economic demands, including the further potential of
existing key centres for development and change and small or major
eco-towns and new settlements.
A key element in achieving a balance of housing and jobs is protecting,
promoting and developing employment sites that support business growth
and ensure the economic viability of local communities. These allocations
need to consider the requirements of different business sectors and their
aspiration for locations that promote partnership, collaboration,
innovation and competitiveness. Urban brownfield sites are increasingly
under pressure to be developed for housing. While it is acknowledged that
the long-term vacancy of derelict employment sites can harm a town’s
image, it is important to retain existing employment sites where possible
and appropriate. Only sites that no longer meet regeneration and growth
objectives, informed by an up-to-date Employment Land Review, should be
made available for alternative uses.
Priority 4:
Adapting the region’s places to meet the challenges and
opportunities of climate change
The impacts of climate change on the region have been well documented,
and include: the increased risk of flooding, whether tidal, fluvial or ‘flash’
flooding, reducing availability of water resources and higher
temperatures. Whilst successful businesses, communities and individuals
across the region are working to mitigate the impacts of climate change,
in creating sustainable places for the future, adaptive changes will
inevitably be necessary to meet a potential increase in global average
temperatures of at least 2ºC by the end of the century. This priority
therefore focuses on the adaptive climate change measures that need to
be embedded in the long-term planning and decision-making for the
region’s places.