Object

Representation ID: 5077

Received: 23/12/2023

Respondent: Living Space Housing

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

Living Space consider that the policy as currently written cannot be found sound as it is not positively prepared, There is a significant shortfall in the GBBCHMA, particularly from Birmingham The Plan should be flexible enough to facilitate the delivery of sustainable development where possible due to the significant shortfall of homes within the GBBCHMA.

Policy DS4 should also explicitly state that the figure is a minimum figure. Furthermore, the Council should confirm that if unmet housing need in the GBBCHMA increases then its contribution will also proportionately increase. Additionally, the Council’s commitment to meeting unmet housing need should be set out in a Joint Statement of Common Ground with the other GBBCHMA authorities.

In meeting the requirements of the Local Plan, South Staffordshire Council should include sites such as Land at Old Hampton Lane which are capable of coming forward for housing to contribute towards the substantial shortfall. Living Space agree that the harm of releasing this parcel from the Green Belt is low and that its removal
would create a simple and more consistent boundary which would reflect the aspirations to release the
land immediately to the south in the emerging Wolverhampton Plan to deliver strategic scale development.