Preferred Options November 2021

Support

Representation ID: 2015

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Four Ashes Limited

Agent: Mr Mark McFadden

FAL supports the recognition of West Midlands Interchange (“WMI”) as an opportunity for the District.

Object

Representation ID: 2016

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Four Ashes Limited

Agent: Mr Mark McFadden

FAL contests the statement that: “A concentration of large scale developments, such as the West Midlands Interchange (WMI) strategic rail freight interchange, poses a threat to the district in terms of the cumulative impact on the surrounding infrastructure". This is not justified and therefore does not meet the soundness tests set out at paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework (“NPPF”). FAL respectfully requests that this text is removed from the next draft version of the draft Local Plan on the basis that the draft Local Plan cannot be considered sound if it remains.

Support

Representation ID: 2049

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Four Ashes Limited

Agent: Mr Mark McFadden

WMI will deliver significant new transport infrastructure, which will provide betterment for the District above and beyond necessary mitigation of the scheme impact.

In addition to this infrastructure, the Order and associated Development Consent Obligation (s106 equivalent for DCOs) has established a framework of mitigation measures to support sustainable travel patterns; some of which will have positive impacts beyond the scheme.

Both highway authorities have confirmed their agreement that the TA [Transport Assessment] provides a robust assessment of the likely effects on the local network and that they agree its findings. There is no substantive evidence to contradict those conclusions.

Support

Representation ID: 2050

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Four Ashes Limited

Agent: Mr Mark McFadden

Policy DS3
FAL supports the policy support provided for employment and economic development at existing freestanding strategic employment sites, including WMI.

Policy DS3 should be amended however to include reference to delivery of employment land in the right
places to meet the District’s objectively assessed employment needs, as well as a specific minimum
contribution to the employment land supply of the other authorities within its Functional Economic Market Area.

Support

Representation ID: 2051

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Four Ashes Limited

Agent: Mr Mark McFadden

FAL supports the principle of a new settlement along the A5/A449 corridor, recognising the need to align new job opportunities at WMI with new housing growth in the District.

However, given the delivery of the new SRFI, associated rail infrastructure and new A5/A449 Link Road and
associated A449 and A5 roundabouts as part of the WMI development, FAL requests that policy wording makes explicit reference to the need for any new settlement to be supported by adequate infrastructure and safeguard against any alterations to the West Coast Mainline Loop railway or impact on the availability of other strategic infrastructure vital to the effective operation of the future SRFI. FAL propose amended wording.

Support

Representation ID: 2052

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Four Ashes Limited

Agent: Mr Mark McFadden

FAL supports the principle of the allocation of the site for Class B8 employment floorspace at WMI and its removal from the West Midlands Green Belt. FAL queries the allocation of 297 hectares (ha.) of Class B8. employment land, given that circa. 36% of the site area is reserved for green infrastructure, and much of the green infrastructure is proposed to remain within the West Midlands Green Belt.

Support

Representation ID: 2053

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Four Ashes Limited

Agent: Mr Mark McFadden

FAL proposes wording at para 25 to remove reference to a specific area of land and instead refer to floorspace, so that it is clear how much of the District’s employment land/floorspace requirement is to be satisfied by delivery at WMI.
FAL proposes wording amendments to clarify Policy SA7.
FAL also proposes that the table in Draft Policy SA7 is amended to reflect the area of 232.5ha rather than 297ha of Class B8 employment area, as 297Ha relates to the total site area rather than the total area available for employment development.

Support

Representation ID: 2054

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Four Ashes Limited

Agent: Mr Mark McFadden

It is understood that Staffordshire County Council and South Staffordshire District Council members have raised queries regarding the ability for WMI to also accommodate high-quality manufacturing development.
As this would constitute Class E(g)(iii) / Class B2 General Industrial development, this would not currently be able to accommodate such development. At the time of the Order’s Examination in Public, alternative sites such as i54 at City of Wolverhampton/South Staffordshire District were preferred locations for advanced manufacturing uses. However, it is understood that i54 expansion land is nearly fully committed / let out, and therefore permitting Class Eg)(iii) / Class B2 uses as part of Draft Policy SA7 allocation would not divert inward investment from i54 as a location for advance manufacturing.

Object

Representation ID: 2055

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Four Ashes Limited

Agent: Mr Mark McFadden

FAL proposes the revision(s) to the proposed site boundary / Green Belt boundary as shown in draft Local Plan Appendix E in Appendix C of this document. It is considered that parts of the site currently within the proposed new Green Belt boundary do not perform Green Belt purposes as defined in NPPF para 138.

Proposes a number of changes to the Green Belt boundary.

Support

Representation ID: 2056

Received: 13/12/2021

Respondent: Four Ashes Limited

Agent: Mr Mark McFadden

Policy EC1 – Sustainable Economic Growth
FAL proposes revisions, in order to reflect the aspirations set out in the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership Local Industrial Strategy.