BASE HEADER

Yes

ID sylw: 108188

Derbyniwyd: 27/02/2025

Ymatebydd: St Philips

Asiant : Lichfields (Birmingham)

Do you agree with the approach laid out in Draft Policy Direction 2 - Potential New Settlements? 2.37 Yes, St Philips considers that it is clear that the step-change in delivery required to meet the SWA’s SM LHN figures, and any unmet housing needs from the GBBCHMA, will require a suite of new sites to be allocated throughout the SWLP area – including New Settlements. Indeed, the NPPF is clear that the supply of large numbers of new homes can often be best achieved through planning for larger-scale developments (Para 74), such as New Settlements. 2.38 Importantly, however, it is also clear that plans should be prepared positively, in a way that is aspirational but deliverable (Para 16b) and should set out an appropriate strategy, taking account of reasonable alternatives, and be based on proportionate evidence (Para 35b). As such, the SWAs also need to robustly test reasonable alternatives for the spatial distribution of South Warwickshire’s housing needs through the SA process at an early stage. In addition to the above, it is also important to note that the NPPF shifts the need to consider viability to the plan-making stage, requiring authorities to identify a sufficient supply and mix of sites, taking into account their availability, suitability and likely economic viability (Para 67). 2.39 The Planning Practice Guidance [PPG] provides further clarity for new settlements, stating that LPAs should demonstrate that there is a reasonable prospect that large-scale developments can come forward. In particular, this should include a realistic assessment of the prospect of sites being developed and should engage with infrastructure providers to ensure that the infrastructure requirements are not beyond what could reasonably be considered to be achievable within the planned timescales.1 2.40 In this context, St Philips would not object to the option of exploring meeting some of the SWA’s needs through a New Settlement but wishes to highlight to the SWAs that sufficient evidence will need to be prepared in support of any future allocation. However, St Philips would note that such forms of development should not be viewed as the panacea for meeting all of the SWLP’s needs. These types of development can take some years to come onstream and begin delivering, and the SWAs will need a spatial strategy that allocates a supporting package of ‘suitable, available, and achievable’ sites at different scales throughout the SWLP area in sustainable locations to ensure that supply can come forward in the earlier parts of the plan period to meet housing needs in the interim.