Preferred Options November 2021

Support

Representation ID: 1137

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Raises concerns that GBHMA Strategic Growth Study and Strategic Housing & Employment Land Availability Assessment aren’t included in evidence base.

The GBHMA Strategic Growth Study remains the latest comprehensive consideration of housing needs and locations to meet this need. It has been subject to scrutiny through the North Warwickshire Local Plan EiP and provides justification for the intended contribution of 4,000 homes to meet the identified housing shortfall. The SHELAA establishes a broad range of site options to be tested by the Council in establishing housing and employment allocations. The Self & Custom Build Register should be included to inform emerging housing need and mix policies.

Support

Representation ID: 1138

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Land at Cross Green is a larger strategic proposal that can facilitate significant infrastructure provision including:
- Delivery of Road Option 7 to strategic employment site
- Delivery of a 2FE Primary School
- Allows for delivery of long-term aspiration for rail-based Park and Ride
- Enhancements to the Green Infrastructure Network including public open space and biodiversity net gain
- Opportunities for retail and community uses
- Community allotments
- Pedestrian and cycle paths to link to neighbouring settlements and strategic employment sites

The IDP identifies the correct infrastructure projects to support the proposed spatial strategy and may be updated to include site specific infrastructure requirements.

Support

Representation ID: 1139

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

The vision is clear but doesn’t appear locally relevant or spatially specific. The strategic objectives are succinct, locally relevant and relate to the most important areas of change or protection within the District. The draft and emerging policies will assist in delivering these objectives.

Support

Representation ID: 1140

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Support the acknowledgement that Green Belt boundaries require amendment to accommodate growth and deliver a sustainable spatial strategy. Agree that exceptional circumstances exist for Green Belt release. Safeguarded land should be considered to ensure Green Belt endures well beyond the plan period.

Object

Representation ID: 1141

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Unmet housing needs should be considered in setting the housing target and include shortfalls from the Birmingham Development Plan 2017, and the Black Country shortfall. These do not take into account the 35% uplift to housing needs applicable to Wolverhampton and Birmingham. The 4,000 home contribution appears reasonable and is justified by shared evidence produced by HMA LPAs.

Projected working age population growth in the SHMA doesn’t match projected job growth, which is significantly higher, especially when West Midlands Interchange job growth is considered. Further evidence is necessary to consider the balance between jobs and working age population age.

The settlement hierarchy and distribution of housing growth adjacent to the Black Country and in the most sustainable villages is supported. This aligns growth to Tier 1 settlements and the proposed employment strategy in an area more connected to major road and rail infrastructure.

Support

Representation ID: 1142

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Highlight that even if a suitable or viable option were identified it would take a long time to masterplan and deliver alongside a much larger scale of infrastructure than other development.

Support

Representation ID: 1143

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

The key infrastructure and design requirements set out in the policy for Land at Cross Green are supported. Taylor Wimpey hold the majority of the site under freehold ownership, with land interests in the remainder. Taylor Wimpey support the requirement for a masterplan and design code, but do not consider it necessary to require a separate SPD for establishing site requirements and assessment frameworks. The requirement for site-specific SPDs has the potential to delay delivery of strategic housing allocations and duplicate information prepared through the masterplan and design code process.

Due to the scale of the four sites Taylor Wimpey supports the inclusion of site-specific policies establishing a vision for each site alongside a detailed masterplan and design code.

Object

Representation ID: 1144

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

HC1 – Requiring 75% of all market housing proposals to be three bedrooms or less is overly prescriptive. Flexibility for changing market signals should be allowed.
HC2 – Density should be reflected on a site-by-site basis.
HC3 – A Stage 2 assessment will be needed having regard to the full range of infrastructure and other policy requirements.
HC4 –The 30% M4(2) requirement is excessive compared to the SHMA evidence on need for accessible and adaptable homes and means bungalows are not required.
HC7 – Consider the policy direction proportionate to the level of evidence.
HC9 – Support the introduction of new requirements.
HC11 –Object to nationally described space standards, which must be fully evidenced.
HC12 –The viability assessment should use a figure of £974 per charge point to reflect Department for Transport consultation figures.
HC17 – To avoid blanket inappropriate provision, distances should be identified to different open space typologies (e.g. LEAPs and LAPs) to ensure provision has regard to the wider area.
HC18 – Recommend engagement with Sport England and sports bodies to refine IDP.
HC19 – Support as part of strategic development
EC3 – Object to this, as it fails to reflect that major housebuilders business plans rely on sub contractors.
NB2 – Policy should only require net gain in line with government policy which is not yet in place.
NB3 – Emerging evidence should inform policy.
NB6 – The Council does not need to set local energy efficiency standards to achieve net zero goal because of the 2021 Part L Interim Uplift and 2025 Future Homes Standard.

Support

Representation ID: 1145

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Agree that the policies outlined are strategic. Requires final drafted policy wording to determine whether other policies are strategic.

Support

Representation ID: 1372

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Pegasus Group

Generally, the documents listed in Appendix A are considered to represent comprehensive evidence base necessary to support a local plan.