Object

Representation ID: 1855

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: IM Land

Agent: RPS Group

Sustainability Appraisal (SA):

The major negative score for Site 591/592 against landscape should be changed. Green Belt is a strategic designation unrelated to landscape and assessed parcels are far larger than the actual sites. A separate Green Belt and landscape analysis of the site provided by Tyler Grange suggests the sites is moderate landscape sensitivity and moderate Green Belt harm.

Site 591/592 should score ‘neutral’ or ‘uncertain’ under natural resources, as the site would not represent an inefficient use of land and has no designated habitats.

Site 591/592 should be a ‘minor positive’ under health and wellbeing as it is unclear why non-A&E hospitals, such as Cannock Chase Hospital, have not been included.

Site 591/592 should be a ‘minor positive’ against transport and accessibility, as access to Hednesford Railway Station is still reasonable in the context of a rural district and it is unclear what weighting has been given to different scoring criteria.

Threshold for secondary education under education criteria should be increased to reflect the 3 mile distance used in national and local guidance, and Site 591/592 re-scored as ‘minor positive’ accordingly.

Huntington has ‘medium’ access to employment in RSFA, but the SA scores it as having ‘unreasonable’ access to employment. Economy criteria should be amended to ‘minor positive’ to reflect the employment sites in Huntington within close proximity of the site.

The site selection topic paper and SHELAA contains no constraints that suggests the site cannot be allocated. Land south of Limepit Lane is equally deliverable and developable to land north of Limepit Lane, which has been allocated.