Yes

ID sylw: 107187

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

The issues covered in DPD 43 are welcomed and supported.

Yes

ID sylw: 107188

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

The issues covered in DPD 43 are welcomed and supported.

Yes

ID sylw: 107189

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

The issues covered in DPD 44 are welcomed and supported.

Other

ID sylw: 107190

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Again, it is not clear how areas of restraint will differ from certain other forms of control identified elsewhere in the proposed DPDs or wider planning legislation, such as Local Green Spaces, conservation areas, open space networks and in the case of Warwick, green belt. Justification for its implementation should be made very clear in the policy along with an indication of support from national planning guidance and a robust justification based on how it will differ from other forms of local amenity protection.

Other

ID sylw: 107191

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

The issues covered in DPD 46 are noted. Differences between the buffer zone and the AONB / national designation and how they operate / are used should be made very clear, for the avoidance of doubt.

As a general comment, there appears to be a significant degree of potential overlap and duplication between the policy areas covered in DPDs 45 – 48. They are all addressing the same general issue, that of the need to control development in areas considered to be of landscape and amenity value. It is not clear what weight or hierarchy applies in terms of this suite of potential policies or whether a particular location might be covered by more than one of these policy designations.

For clarity, a strategic policy setting out a clear hierarchy of areas of restraint might be an alternative approach, with more detailed policies provided where additional information may be required on a particular topic. For example, where development was being proposed, land adjacent to the AONB would receive the highest weighting and levels of scrutiny in terms of its strategic sensitivity, followed by areas of landscape that have been found to be more sensitive to development (following a landscape capacity / sensitivity assessment), followed by local areas in and around settlements etc.

Yes

ID sylw: 107192

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Draft Policy Direction 4 explains that the housing need and availability evidence base for the SWLP
will consider the Coventry and Warwickshire Housing Market Area and the Greater Birmingham and
Black Country Housing Market Area (GBBCHMA). Sandwell supports the proactive approach of the Policy Direction to seek to meet relevant unmet housing needs arising from the Housing Market Areas.

The consultation document states that sufficient options and flexibility have been identified to meet more than South Warwickshire’s own need and acknowledges that there may be unmet need from elsewhere, but correctly states that this has yet to be quantified. Since publication of this document a refresh of the GBBCHMA Strategic Growth Study has been commissioned, the first phase of this will estimate the housing shortfall against the new 2024 LHN baseline. The early signs, however, are that the conurbation will struggle in terms of capacity and delivery to meet its 2024 LHN, albeit the focus of the challenge may have shifted from Birmingham to Solihull and the Black Country.

The offer to assist with meeting some of this shortfall, therefore, is welcomed. Any additional growth proposals, however, will need to be mindful of the recommendations of the New Towns Task Force and any decisions on how to progress with these.

Other

ID sylw: 107194

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

In terms of the spatial strategy, the New Settlement around Hatton would be particularly well appointed to serve needs arising from the GBBCHMA; it is also rail served.

Other

ID sylw: 107195

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Analysis this far suggests that New Settlement Options at South of Tamworth in Arden and East of Wood End that are in close proximity to the conurbation are less suitable, albeit potentially linked to the rail network. It is assumed that these will be considered further before a further iteration of the plan is published.

Other

ID sylw: 107196

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

In terms of potential Strategic Growth Locations, the SG 24 Hockley Heath Group lies adjacent to the Solihull boundary, although this does not appear to be in the highest Priority Zone for development. It will be for Solihull MBC to consider the local implications of this.

Other

ID sylw: 107197

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

In terms of economic need, it is welcome that South Warwickshire has identified potential locations to accommodate strategic employment sites as identified in the recent West Midlands Strategic Employment Sites Study and that it plans for the continued growth of well-established economic assets of regional importance.