Comment

Representation ID: 45890

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Transport for West Midlands

Policy HOU1 & 2 Delivering Sustainable Housing Growth

Alongside the focus for new homes to be built within Centres and Core Regeneration Areas, housing policies should consider the importance of building new homes along key transport corridors and transport hubs. And while these Core Regeneration Areas may well be along some key public transport corridors, this is not explicitly highlighted in the policies, but we feel this needs to be demonstrated throughout the plan.

To help meet housing requirements, the Black Country should also continue to examine increasing minimum housing density levels in its centres to 50 or more per hectare as promoted by the RTPI4 and the Urban Transport Group. A review of minimum densities of local plans and spatial frameworks in other UK City Regions could be of value, with areas including Greater Manchester and Liverpool presenting housing density levels as high as 75 dwellings per hectare for houses and 150+ dwellings per hectare for apartments. Increasing dwelling densities, in more built up urban areas will then help create more walkable mixed-use developments, with excellent sustainable mobility options while reducing the need to travel by car.