Object

Representation ID: 4974

Received: 19/12/2022

Respondent: FGD Ltd

Agent: Savills

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Omission site: Land at Mile Flat, Kingswinford

The Site has been assessed in the SHELAA 2022 (site reference 577) as ‘NCD1’ which the Housing Site
Selection Topic Papers (2021 & 2022) state that this means the site is “potentially suitable for housing but not
currently developable because of a policy designation”. The supporting table of the SHELAA notes that site
577 is “potentially suitable but subject to policy constraints – Green Belt & Core Policy 1”. The site assessment summary states “north eastern corner of the site is directly adjacent the urban edge of the Black Country.
Promoter indicates 4ha of employment land could be accommodated on site. Urban edge site modelled at 35
dwellings per hectare.” We support the positive assessment of the site in the SHELAA.
The Site is considered to be too far from primary and secondary education and it is located within an area of
High Green Belt harm. In regards to education, the site is of a scale where land for a primary school and / or
community facilities could be provided to support residential development on the site and elsewhere in the
District / Kingswinford if required.
Although the Site is in an area of ‘high’ Green Belt harm, all of the land to the west of the Black Country has
either been assessed as ‘high’ or ‘very high’ and the Site has ‘low-moderate’ landscape sensitivity. It is
considered that suitable Green Belt compensatory and landscape improvements could be provided on the Site
if it was allocated for residential and / or employment uses. We also consider that if the Site was released from
the Green Belt, then Mile Flat offers a clear physical and permanent revised Green Belt boundary (National
Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) paragraph 143f).
Subject to a sensitive design and proposed mitigation for any potential heritage and landscape impacts, it is
considered that the Site is suitable for residential and / or employment uses, is available for development and
could be delivered within the next 5 years if required.