Publication Plan April 2024

Comment

Representation ID: 5722

Received: 22/05/2024

Respondent: Wombourne Parish Council

Cannot find any published information on whether area health authorities were consulted at strategic level on the imposition of such housing numbers (even the reduced numbers) and the demographics of the projected population over the plan period. We seek detail on any potential health levy against properties built for local health services.

Comment

Representation ID: 5723

Received: 22/05/2024

Respondent: Wombourne Parish Council

Questions remain as to whether the County Council’s Education Authority, the Government’s Education Department and individual local schools have been suitably consulted/accurately surveyed on the overall requirements for pupil provision over the plan period. Suitable provision for increased school capacity, or otherwise expressions of how increased local need may be met (for instance, alterations of catchment areas) needs to be identified as part of the Plan

Comment

Representation ID: 5724

Received: 22/05/2024

Respondent: Wombourne Parish Council

There is no evidence to support planning strategy in this key area where an increasingly older age population is going to put significant pressure on Social Services and the Area Health Authorities, and this should also surely inform the necessary housing mix. For instance, in Wombourne, more bungalows will be required along with smaller starter homes, ideally given first refusal to local families.

Comment

Representation ID: 5725

Received: 22/05/2024

Respondent: Wombourne Parish Council

The evidence of consultation with the Highways Authority and seriousness with which that Authority has taken to examining the effects that traffic generated by new housing sites will have on existing settlements continues to raise concern. While we accept South Staffordshire District Council has limited impact upon this, it is expedient upon the Authority to pursue meaningful consideration of this issue from County Highways. As part of the Local Plan Review the Highways Authority should have been asked for a ‘Traffic Impact Assessment’ on settlements. Adding hundreds of new dwellings will exaserbate congestion and compromise highway safety.

Conerns that decisions remain at risk of being left to piece-meal negotiation with developers and landowners of individual sites. We remain keen to see published formulas for financial/provisional contributions that would give us greater confidence.

Comment

Representation ID: 5728

Received: 22/05/2024

Respondent: Wombourne Parish Council

Seek means by which affordbale housing is offered to local people first

Support

Representation ID: 5729

Received: 22/05/2024

Respondent: Wombourne Parish Council

Altered planning strategy is much more clearly justifiable and is supported. However, we also continue to believe the distribution of new dwellings should be shared between Tier 5 villages in South Staffordshire because, as it stands, Tier 5 villages remain untouched which only entrenches their unsustainability as places. Where we previously commented that we believed the Local Plan had been ‘negatively prepared’ because of the huge opposition from local residents to the planned sites and lack of reference to this volume to the Inspector, we now withdraw this comment but reserve judgement in relation to infrastructure planning and provision. We do, on balance, accept this revised Local Plan proposal as ‘sound’.