Comment

Representation ID: 21617

Received: 11/01/2022

Respondent: Pall Mall Investments

Agent: Highgate Land and Development

Policy HOU1 – ‘Delivering Sustainable Housing Growth’
Draft Policy HOU1 guides the development of residential sites across Sandwell and the other BCAs.
Limb 4 of draft Policy HOU1 states that: ‘the development of the sites for housing should demonstrate a comprehensive approach, making the best use of available land and infrastructure and not prejudging pre-existing uses’.
Draft Policy HOU1 also goes on to state that: ‘incremental development of an allocated site would
only be allowed where it would not prejudice the achievement of high-quality design and the allocation as a whole’.
Care will need to be taken to ensure that this limb of the policy does not prohibit the early release of the first phases of wider site allocations. The nature of development sites across the BCP area are often fragmented in terms of ownership, and are likely to need to come forward on a ‘phased’ basis. This will be critical to ensure that sites can be delivered over time.
Therefore, we propose that this is recognised in draft Policy HOU1 by ensuring that the first sentence is updated to include the words ‘as comprehensive approach as possible’. This will ensure that the first phases of wider allocations and CRA’s can come forward and provide a catalyst for later phases/development sites.