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ID sylw: 108659

Derbyniwyd: 06/03/2025

Ymatebydd: CEMEX UK Operations Ltd

Asiant : Victoria Bullock

The Opportunity
5.1 The former Southam Cement Works is an existing large brownfield site that sits outside of the settlement boundary of Southam. It is a site with a long employment history, with CEMEX a long standing business and local employer. It has an active operational life of 20-25 years working the existing mineral working and extraction permissions and could therefore be released in totality within the SWLP plan period to 2050.
5.2 Part of the site is available for redevelopment now and could actively contribute to the SWLP growth strategy in terms of both job creation and new housing in the short to medium term consistent with the policy objectives of the NPPF.
5.3 A Vision Document has been prepared and is enclosed at Appendix 2. The core principles of the opportunity build on the ’20-minute Neighbourhood’ concept and includes:
• Provides for the release of non-operational brownfield land for further CEMEX investment and jobs to the site.
• Retains and consolidates the existing CEMEX business and diversification of CEMEX’s employment offer through new training facilities, together with wider employment floorspace creation.
• Releases land for other employment that could contribute to the objectives of ‘Silicon Spa’.
• A range of jobs within easy community distance.
• Releases land for mixed tenure homes, and housing types, that need identified local need and affordability.
• Beautifully designed homes with gardens, reflecting local character and materials.
• Development that enhances the natural environment, maintaining and enhancing the existing green infrastructure network, wider opportunities for biodiversity net gain and public access.
• Prioritisation of low carbon and energy efficient technology with the aim of achieving a climate resilient development.
• Enabling walkable recreation on site.
5.4 In the short term there is the opportunity for existing known non-operational land to come forward for redevelopment now. In the short to medium term CEMEX are also reviewing processes on site and the efficiency of operations generally, but also as part of CEMEX’s Corporate Nature Positive policy. This is a commitment to explore opportunities to de-carbonise the business, including reducing ‘mineral miles’, i.e. the distances travelled with raw materials and commercial products to customers and a review of the efficiency of the car and vehicle fleet. CEMEX are also reviewing opportunities to meet Biodiversity Net Gain across their wider portfolio. This could release further land within Southam from operational requirements.
5.5 These releases could be to other non-operational CEMEX functions such as laboratories, staff training and development etc as well as other non-CEMEX commercial uses on site or business start-up units / industrial units. These commercial / education uses would be compatible with the operational use and mineral workings that would continue in the medium term whilst making best use of brownfield land and contributing to economic growth and job creation. In short, rather that the site and landscape become redundant, this would enable managed growth and reuse.
5.6 Collectively this would provide a revised ‘context’ and organic growth for when the remainder of the site is released from operational use. As noted above, this could occur within the current SWLP plan period to 2050. The opportunities could be explored through a phased Masterplan linked to the growth objectives of the SWLP. The approach would need to be based on a wider understanding of the existing economic base and the challenges and opportunities facing the local community. This could include start-up businesses units which are consistent with the makeup of the existing local economy and prevalence of micro-businesses. They could also contribute to the ‘Silicon Spa’ economic asset identified by the South Warwickshire Employment Land Study October 2024 prepared by Iceni.
5.7 The western parcel is also available for release now and could come forward for residential development consistent with the original Model Village. The housing would generate value and would facilitate a co-ordinated scheme with the above employment offer. This would offer opportunity for workers to live in proximity to their jobs. Moreover, provide the critical mass for other on-site local services. This could include supporting small scale retail (i.e. a Co-op etc) for both workers and residents in a ‘convenience’ role. Such facilities would be local in nature and not compete with those already provided in Southam and / or Long Itchington.
5.8 There is also the potential for residential development in the northern parcel in the medium to long term.
5.9 There is also the opportunity to enhance the biodiversity and ecological value of the wider land holdings beyond the existing mineral extraction restoration requirements. This includes the opportunity for parts of the site to be used for Biodiversity Net Gain for the wider CEMEX portfolio as part of their Nature First Policy and for any development proposed on site. Land to the west of the Model Village, that already falls partly within Flood Zone 1, has been identified for this purpose.
5.10 CEMEX could also review the potential to open up some areas of the wider land holdings to the public subject to operational health and safety restrictions, ecological sensitivities and meeting amenity needs of any proposed residential development and for surrounding settlements. In this respect it is noted that the ‘made’ Southam Neighbourhood Plan July 2023 sets out a desire to expand the available green space for Southam and nearby villages by opening up the southern extremity of the existing CEMEX Quarry. This land is currently unsuitable for public access as it is subject to Quarry regulations at present. This is expected to be the case for the operational lifetime of the Quarry.
5.11 CEMEX propose to work with the District Council, Town, the community and stakeholders in developing and assessing the development proposals for the site and opportunities for access to other areas in the land holding. This could also explore the potential improved connections with wider communities in Long Itchington and Southam making walking, cycling and public transport the most attractive forms of transport.
6.1 The Former Southam Cement Works site enables an efficient use of existing previously developed land, reducing the pressure to release Green Belt and greenfield land to development for homes and jobs. Consistent with the NPPF 2024, it would secure the existing and new jobs in the long term and provide the opportunity for housing development to meet the increased Standard Method housing requirement and as yet undefined unmet housing need of the surrounding authorities.
6.2 The site is suitable, available and achievable and would contribute to a mix of sites that would be needed to supply variety to the market and maintain housing land supply.
6.3 In our view, the SWLP should retain the principles of the Core Strategy Policy AS 11 and progress a new ‘live’ policy in SWLP Part 1 that facilitates the phased release of the Former Southam Cement Works site to encourage organic employment growth and enabling housing development ahead of the release of the remaining operational land.
6.4 We would welcome the opportunity to meet with the Council to review the above