Current Consultations

Tree Strategy 2050 - Issues and Options

The city council has started work on developing a Tree Strategy for the city. This strategy will provide a clear vision until 2050 and beyond of how the urban treescape is expected to change over time. It will include how the protection of existing trees and planting of new trees, with associated soft landscaping on private and public land, will achieve a wide range of social and environmental benefits for residents, businesses, and their employees as well as visitors to the city.

The first step on this 25-year journey is to canvas the thoughts and opinions of the residents, business owners and their employees and visitors to the city, to understand what their priorities are and how these might be incorporated into the long-term Tree Strategy.

TREE STRATEGY 2050 SURVEY

Draft Air Quality Action Plan Consultation

In 2019 the City Council declared a City-Wide Air Quality Management area. The Draft Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) has been produced as part of Worcester City Council’s statutory duties required by the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) framework. It outlines the action the Council will take to improve air quality in Worcester City between 2024 and 2029.

Within the Air Quality Action Plan, the Council has set out a number of measures to achieve the council’s and partners key priorities to reduce emissions from traffic, improve public health and wellbeing, increase uptake of sustainable travel options and plan for future development.

The survey will take around 5 minutes for you complete, and closes at midnight on Monday 15 September 2024.

Air Quality Action Plan Survey

Air Quality Supplementary Planning Document Consultation

The Air Quality Supplementary Planning Document has been prepared by the South Worcestershire Council to help guide the implementation of the Pollution and Land Instability policy of the South Worcestershire Development Plan. The policy and this SPD aims to reduce negative impact of new development on air quality across the three South Worcestershire Councils and offers guidance on how this can be achieved through the planning process; as well as providing guidance on how new development can be designed in order to reduce the impacts of  poor air quality on future occupants.

Poor air quality can have a negative effect both on humans and the environment, leading to increased potential for illness and a contributing factor towards death following long exposure.

The Supplementary Planning Document cannot introduce new planning policies, but it can offer guidance and more details on how the existing policy regarding air quality can be implemented. The Supplementary Planning Document recognises there is no one size fits all approach dealing with this issue, and therefore opportunities and suggestions are provided within the document, but the Councils would encourage early engagement through the pre-application process to discuss the best methods of mitigation that could be used.

Air Quality Supplementary Planning Document Survey

Mandatory Safeguarding Training for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers Consultation

Worcester City Council is responsible for issuing licences in respect of drivers of hackney carriage (taxi’s) and private hire vehicles.

In July 2020, with a view to better protecting children, females and vulnerable adults, the Department for Transport (DFT) issued new statutory guidance to taxi and private hire licensing authorities, called the  “Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Standards”.

Following its publication the Council reviewed its own Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, and in doing so introduced “Mandatory” safeguarding awareness training for new licence holders.

Having further reviewed the above and in an effort to increase public safety, the Council is now considering introducing “Mandatory” safeguarding awareness training for “ALL” existing licence holders from 1^st January 2025, with a further requirement to undertake refresher training every 3 years thereafter.

The Council would now like to hear your views on the above proposal.

The closing date of this consultation is 12 September 2024.

Complete the survey