Environment

The beauty of the South West – the quality and variety of our environment – is our greatest asset. It is one of the key features that make the region particularly distinctive and attractive to live in, work in and visit.

In recognition of the importance of the environment to the South West, the Regional Assembly working closely with the Regional Environment Network, has produced a Regional Environment Strategy Our Environment Our Future.

This is the first time that people and organisations in the South West have come together and agreed what matters about the South West’s environment and what needs to be done to protect and enhance it.

The Regional Environment Strategy for the South West was prepared in 2003. It also contributed to the Regional Spatial Strategy’s environment policies.

Scoping work was undertaken by the South West Regional Environment Network to inform the Regional Environment Strategy refresh. REN has reported back to the Assembly in November 2007 and make recommendations how to refresh the Strategy. The scoping process included a combined telephone and online survey amongst regional stakeholders. A list of questions which forms the basis for both questionnaires can be obtained from the REN homepage.

On 8 November 2007, Members approved the REN scoping report at the Regional Futures Group meeting. REN will be preparing a Priorities Document which is the first step in reviewing the REnvS. The evidence base for the Priorities document would be founded on allying a description of environmental assets of the region with the South West Regional Observatory’s annual ‘State of the South West Environment’ reporting. This would fit into current arrangements between the Assembly and the Regional Observatory on monitoring the Regional Spatial Strategy.