Tame Valley

The Tame Valley is one of several case studies for the West Midlands National Park proposal.  It is under major development pressure for new housing, industrial and infrastructure projects and is therefore of great interest to many of the authorities in the region, including Birmingham City Council, North Warwickshire Borough Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Tamworth Borough Council, Warwickshire and Staffordshire County Councils as well as the cross-authority groupings, such as the Combined Authority, the Midlands Engine and the Local Economic Partnerships.

The Tame Valley is an unknown asset for the United Kingdom (UK). Rich with wetlands, sites of special scientific interest, ancient woodlands and with great biodiversity, it contains several areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). It is a highly important migratory route for birds. It is believed to have a great potential to provide a substantial ecological, cultural and economic role in the future of the region. The valley is on the eastern periphery of the towns and cities of the West Midlands. Hidden from view by the many routes that pass along it as they encircle the uplifted West Midlands Plateau, it is significantly undervalued as a territorial resource for local populations and the UK.

The Tame Valley Landscape Vision (TVLV), a landscape led, spatial and conceptual vision was adopted by the Tame Valley Wetland Partnership and its partners, including the Wildlife Trusts, the Environment Agency and local authorities in 2016.

Through the SATURN project and with the help of these partnerships and stakeholders including Birmingham City Council, the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, local landowners and the boroughs of North Warwickshire and Tamworth, this project will examine what progress has been made to adopt and develop the Tame Valley Landscape Development (TVLD) over the last 5 years and establish how it has been used to contribute to regional resilience, socially, economically and environmentally. It will evaluate what works, what didn’t work and what could work more effectively sharing knowledge with the SATURN partners. It will explore if and how the vision has been developed through policy, principles and guidance and how this in turn could inform the delivery of the principles that underpin the West Midland National Park.  This will be explored in the context of a wider application of the approach to ensure scalability on a European level.

For more info visit this page of prof. Moore investigation.