Comment

Representation ID: 21203

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey

Agent: Avison Young

Policy DEL1 – Infrastructure Provision

This policy requires that all new developments should be supported by the necessary on and offsite infrastructure to serve its needs, mitigate its impact on the environment and the local community and ensure that it is sustainable and contributes to the proper planning of the wider area, unless material circumstances or considerations indicate otherwise.

With respect to our Client’s site, we note that Policy WSA7 of the Draft Plan suggests that the development of the site could deliver “appropriate local facilities to support new residents and to enhance the sustainability of the existing area, including a new primary school and local health centre”.

In terms of any necessary infrastructure required in Aldridge or the wider Black Country, we note that paragraph 4.5 of the Draft Plan states that the Plan will be supported by an Infrastructure Delivery Plan, however we cannot locate this within the evidence base the BCA have published on the Black Country Plan website. We would be grateful to have sight of this document if it is publicly available, in order that we can review and comment on it.

Notwithstanding this position, the provision of developer contributions should only be sought where these are proportionate to the level and impact arising from new development. As outlined in paragraph 57 of the NPPF:
“Planning obligations must only be sought where they meet all of the following tests:
a) Necessary to make the development acceptable in planning terms;
b) Directly related to the development; and
c) Fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the development.”