As a member of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, I was involved in drafting the Green Party submission to the consultation on the draft Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy. The submission is quite brief and contains recommendations in the following areas:

• ensuring that effective sustainability indicators are used;
• halting and reversing biodiversity loss in line with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, including large-scale rewetting of peatlands and restoration of natural ecosystems including wetlands and woodlands across the region, taking account of the major social and economic benefits which could result;
• ensuring the implementation of the Water Framework Directive through the planning system;
• transitioning to the circular economy;
• measuring the greenhouse gas emissions from the plan and ensuring it puts us on a path to a low -carbon economy
• investing in walking and cycling, recognising their public health and environmental benefits
• investing in public transport, in particular rail.