Support

Representation ID: 22346

Received: 24/01/2022

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey

Agent: Avison Young

In light of the above, [representation on Policy CSP1] it is inevitable that Green Belt land in the Black Country will need to be released to help the authorities meet their housing needs over the Plan period. It is evident that the BCAs have examined fully all other reasonable options for meeting their identified need for development and have concluded that they could not achieve this alone by adopting a strategy that accords with the criteria set out in paragraph 141 of the NPPF. In our view, this demonstrates that the exceptional circumstances do exist to justify the BCAs making changes to existing Green Belt boundaries.

We support the BCA’s acknowledgement that the site at Aldridge Road is considered appropriate for the release from the Green Belt, as evidenced by Policy HOU1. The site is well contained, with well-defined, defensible boundaries on all sides (i.e. Aldridge Road to the north, Calderfields Golf Club to the east, Walsall Arboretum to the south and residential land uses to the west). These features provide a visual separation from open land surrounding the site, meaning that its release would not result in the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas. The Golf Club to the east, in particular, is a key element of the separation between the site and Streetly to the east. As this would mean a strong gap is maintained between the site and the built-up areas of Aldridge and Streetly, the removal of the site from the Green Belt would not result in the merging of neighbouring towns.