Projects

Here is a summary about some of the key projects in which David Carter has been involved and his responsibilities:

* Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP). As Chairman of the Spatial Planning Group (until August 2014) leading on the preparation of a high-level Strategic Plan for Recovery & Growth as well as helping create a business friendly planning service. This has involved co-ordinating the commissioning of on-going technical studies into Strategic Housing Needs, Strategic Employment Sites and a Sustainability Appraisal.

The consultation version of the GBSLEP Spatial Plan for Recovery & Growth.

* Preparation, implementation, monitoring and review of the Birmingham Development Plan, responsible for planning research and intelligence including Census (where I acted in the role of Census Regional Champion for the 2011 Census), Demography and GIS. This included the preparation and review of the Birmingham Unitary Development Plan and strategy development work on the first West Midlands Local Transport Plan.

 

 The 1993, 2005 and 2010 versions of the Birmingham Development Plan

* Leading on the work both within Birmingham City Council and wider GBSLEP and region on the ‘Duty to Co-operate' to ensure cross-boundary collaboration effectively replacing the regional tier of governance. Includes representing Birmingham City Council at numerous public examinations and hearings.

* Extensive experience of regional and sub-regional working on behalf of the former West Midlands Regional Assembly as the ‘Prosperity for All’ Lead Officer as part of the Regional Spatial Strategy and at conurbation-level supporting the West Midlands Joint Committee. This work has resulted in the development of the i54 site to the north of Wolverhampton currently being developed for the JLR Engine Plant and other strategic employment sites.

i54: one of the great successes that can be attributed to strategic planning through the former Regional Spatial Strategy. The image of a screenshot from the I54 website and show some of the prestigious companies locating on the site.

 

 * Involvement in major public inquiries, most notably establishing and representing a public-private sector consortium to fight Merry Hill shopping centre expansion proposals, steering the Sutton Coldfield Local Plan through its public local inquiry, representing Birmingham City Council in the planning of the Birmingham Northern Relief Road (now the M6 Toll) and as witness for West Midlands Joint Committee opposing expansion at Coventry Airport public inquiry.

 Evidence given to the Merry Hill and Coventry Airport public inquiries.

* Giving evidence to Parliamentary Select and other Committees.

 * Invited to become Birmingham’s representative on the Transatlantic Cities Network (TCN) which is a network of c25 cities split in Europe and the USA and is funded by the German Marshall Fund. In October 2012 helped to successfully hold the annual meeting of the TCN in Birmingham.

* Lead stakeholder on EU-funded ESPON RISE project – looking at territorial integrated strategy development techniques.