Support

Representation ID: 23054

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: St Philips

Agent: Savills

Policy CSP1 - Development Strategy

1(a) states that the plan will deliver at least 47,837 dwellings. We understand that all of the Black Country (BC) housing needs may not be able to be delivered within the plan area, however we consider that there is capacity for the plan area to accommodate additional growth through further Green Belt release to reduce the amount of dwellings that need to be accommodated by the Housing Market Area (‘HMA’). The Duty to Cooperate Statement (July 2021) states that discussions to date have identified that circa 14,750 dwellings could be accommodated by adjacent authorities. Although we acknowledge that there could be capacity to increase this figure, this still leaves a significant shortfall (circa 14,000 dwellings). We consider that these are exceptional circumstances that justify the release of the Green Belt sites already proposed in the Draft BCP as well as additional Green Belt sites that are in sustainable locations but have been rejected by the Black Country Authorities (‘BCA’).
We support the proposed allocation of Site WSA9 and agree with paragraph 3.5 that the locations that have been identified for development are sustainable and deliverable. We consider that Streetly is a sustainable location that can accommodate the growth currently proposed in the plan (Site WSA9) as well as additional growth to assist the BC in meeting their housing needs.
St Phillips have worked collaboratively with Taylor Wimpey (adjacent landowner to the south) to produce a combined masterplan to show the potential for community infrastructure delivery across a wider strategic development site, including the land to the west of Site WSA9 (Illustrative Masterplan attached with this submission). This site has the potential to deliver circa 800 dwellings, land for a new school, local centre/health facility and significant public open space including a country park. This wider proposal may also be of a scale that could support a new/improved bus service on Chester Road which would enhance the sustainability credentials of the existing settlement. The scale of the combined proposals gives rise to a more comprehensive opportunity than the constrained and fragmented proposition contained in the draft plan at present and would allow for the inclusion of significant community infrastructure.