Black Country Core Strategy Issue and Option Report

Comment

Representation ID: 2869

Received: 08/09/2017

Respondent: St Philips

The identified land at Aldridge is considered to be suitable for development and could be delivered within the first five years of the new Core Strategy being adopted. The site extends 7.8 hectares and it is considered at this stage that the site could accommodate at least 200 dwellings. This assumption is based on a net developable area of 85% and a density of 30 dwellings per hectare. This view is subject to further work being carried out. The site borders Fairlawns Spa and Health Club to the east, Druids Heath Golf Club to the north and Aldridge Court Nursing Home to the west. Cooper and Jordan Church of England Primary School is located further to the west. The site is therefore proximate to a range of local services and facilities and is just over 1km from the centre of Aldridge, where further local amenities are offered. The site is accessed via Little Aston Road (the A454) to the south which connects the site with Aldridge. There are also bus routes along this road meaning that the site is accessible via non car modes of travel.

Further technical and design work is underway and will be submitted to Walsall Council once it is complete in order to supplement the Call for Sites submission and these representations. St Philips hopes that the Black Country Authorities will review this submission and carefully consider the opportunity provided by this site. St Philips is of the view that the site should be removed from the Green Belt and allocated for residential development in the new Core Strategy.

Comment

Representation ID: 2870

Received: 08/09/2017

Respondent: St Philips

Spatial Option H2 is supported by St Philips insofar as this Spatial Option could potentially deliver homes on a large scale, which will be important in the context of a substantial unmet housing need within the Black County. However, this Spatial Option would require large-scale adjustments to the Green Belt boundary with potentially major impacts on Green Belt purposes and environmental assets. In addition this approach is likely to concentrate delivery later in the plan period due to infrastructure and phasing issues, and delivery may be limited by market and infrastructure constraints. St Philips is therefore of the view that a combination of some SUEs and small to medium sized sites (as per Spatial Option H1 to which the identified land at Aldridge aligns) would be the best way forward for the Black Country Authorities.

Comment

Representation ID: 2871

Received: 08/09/2017

Respondent: St Philips

St Philips considers that the Black Country Authorities should consider a Housing Spatial Option which combines the approaches of Spatial Option H1 and Spatial Option H2. This would mean that a number of small to medium sizes sites would be allocated for residential development as well as one or two appropriate SUEs. St Philips considers this would be the most sustainable approach to residential development in the Green Belt.

Comment

Representation ID: 2872

Received: 08/09/2017

Respondent: St Philips

St Philips does not support the 'export' of housing growth to neighbouring authorities within the HMA. It is important that the Black Country Authorities meet their own housing needs and all potential housing land supply options, including Green Belt sites, must be explored fully before any consideration is given to the 'export' of housing growth.

In addition to meeting its own needs, the Black Country has committed to explore the potential to accommodate 3,000 houses arising from Birmingham's unmet need. If the Black Country looked to 'export' housing growth, this would only serve to exacerbate existing issues within the HMA.

Comment

Representation ID: 2873

Received: 08/09/2017

Respondent: St Philips

All new development should have the appropriate type and quantum of supporting infrastructure. However, the Black Country Authorities must carefully consider the changes made to policy DEL1, which should not place an unnecessary burden on small to medium development sites, such as the identified land at Aldridge.

Comment

Representation ID: 2874

Received: 08/09/2017

Respondent: St Philips

New social infrastructure is likely to be required to serve large new housing developments, especially SUEs (of 500-5,000 houses). It is not considered that the identified land at Aldridge would require any on site social infrastructure but this will be explored during the technical and design work which is underway.

Comment

Representation ID: 2875

Received: 08/09/2017

Respondent: St Philips

As per our response to question 25, new physical infrastructure is likely to be required to serve large new housing developments, especially SUEs (of 500-5,000 houses). The physical infrastructure required at the identified land at Aldridge will be explored during the technical and design work that is being carried out.

Comment

Representation ID: 2876

Received: 08/09/2017

Respondent: St Philips

The Issues and Options consultation document makes clear the intended strategy of maintaining the urban regeneration focus of the existing Core Strategy and prioritising the use of brownfield land over greenfield land (and Green Belt land). St Philips wishes to highlight the urgent need for new homes in the Black Country, which means that this intended strategy is not wholly appropriate. The strategy should be developed with the priority of identifying Green Belt solutions.

Comment

Representation ID: 2877

Received: 08/09/2017

Respondent: St Philips

The Issues and Options consultation document states that 25% of the existing Black Country housing land supply is not viable under current market conditions and that consequently, it is not certain that there is enough funding available to bring forward sites to meet the short to medium term housing growth needs. St Philips believes that the finding mechanisms listed in the Issues and Options consultation document are generally appropriate, but is conscious of the risk that these funding sources will fail to deliver. Deliverable Green Belt sites should thus be allocated through the BCCS Review, such as the identified land at Aldridge.

Comment

Representation ID: 2878

Received: 08/09/2017

Respondent: St Philips

Health Impact Assessments are probably more relevant to larger sites such as SUEs of between 500 and 5,000 houses but does feel this would be an appropriate means to interrogate the sustainability of sites submitted through the Call for Sites exercise.