Publication Plan November 2022

Object

Representation ID: 4572

Received: 22/12/2022

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

At present the SHMA assumes that the projected growth of the working age population in South Staffordshire will grow by 6,618 people between 2020-2040. Whilst this is in excess of the forecast jobs growth outlined in the EDNA, Taylor Wimpey is concerned that the EDNA fails to realistically consider additional jobs created at WMI. Further consideration should therefore be given to whether the minimum local housing need figure derived from the standard method would support the necessary growth in the working age population to create a balanced community within South Staffordshire to support such jobs growth, even taking into consideration the 4,000 additional homes to meet unmet needs in the wider housing market area

Object

Representation ID: 4573

Received: 22/12/2022

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Taylor Wimpey would wish to raise concerns that the proposed direction of travel appears overly prescriptive with all market housing proposals to include 70% of properties to comprise three bedrooms or less.
The SHMA utilises a long-term balancing housing market (LTBHM) model to determine future demand for housing. Taylor Wimpey would question whether this model does actually determine demand rather than need. The demand is often for a larger open market property than a household may need to provide additional flexibility e.g. working from home. Therefore, the approach to capping the percentage of larger homes, particularly open market homes, fails to provide a good level of flexibility to allow for changing market signals across the plan period or to address varying needs in different locations within the District

Object

Representation ID: 4574

Received: 22/12/2022

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

It is considered that a specific requirement for bungalows is not appropriate if instead the Council pursues a policy of requiring 100% of all homes to meet optional M4(2) requirements.
The Government has consulted on raising accessibility standards for new homes but the requirement for all homes to meet M4(2) standards is yet to be mandated. If the Council intends to pursue a policy in respect of M4(2) standards this must be evidenced. Taylor Wimpey considers that whilst there may be justification for implementing optional M4(2) standards, the 100% requirement is not justified.
See supporting representations for further details.

Object

Representation ID: 4575

Received: 22/12/2022

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Concern is raised that the emerging requirements appear to provide little flexibility with regards to a site’s context.
See supporting representations for further details.

Object

Representation ID: 4576

Received: 22/12/2022

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

A locally specific CO2 reduction requirement is unnecessary and without justification for deviation from Government emerging Future Homes standards to be considered through building regulations
See supporting representations for further details.

Support

Representation ID: 4577

Received: 22/12/2022

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Taylor Wimpey recognises the importance of the four proposed strategic housing allocations in delivering the spatial strategy for the District to 2039. Due to the scale of the four sites, Taylor Wimpey supports the inclusion of site-specific policies to establish a vision for each site, alongside a requirement for a detailed masterplan and design code.
Taylor Wimpey supports this Vision, Objectives and the resultant indicative Concept Plan contained within the Publication Plan. This will form the basis of further technical work and the preparation of a comprehensive masterplan and design code to inform a future planning application.
In light of the required Strategic Masterplanning process progressing it is requested that Policy SA2 refers to the delivery of approximately 1,200 homes rather than specifying this as a minimum requirement. The appropriate number of homes to be delivered and density achieved on site will be considered further through the required masterplanning process outlined within the Local Plan.

Comment

Representation ID: 4578

Received: 22/12/2022

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Taylor Wimpey supports the identification of the Greater Birmingham HMA Growth Study (2018) and the SHELAA which were absent in the Preferred Options document.
The Greater Birmingham HMA Strategic Growth Study remains the latest comprehensive consideration of housing needs across the Greater Birmingham and Black Country HMA and provides a range of recommended options for meeting these needs, to be tested through individual LPA Local Plan reviews. This evidence has been subject to scrutiny as supporting evidence at the North Warwickshire Local Plan EiP and provides justification for the Council’s intended contribution of 4,000 homes to assist in meeting the identified housing shortfall.
Taylor Wimpey has worked collaboratively with the Council, the City of Wolverhampton Council, other key stakeholders and the Council’s masterplanning consultant to progress the Strategic Development Location proposal for Cross Green. This has been informed by the preparation of evidence prepared by Taylor Wimpey to supplement the Council’s evidence base, including the preparation of an updated Strategic Transport Assessment attached at Appendix 2.

Comment

Representation ID: 4579

Received: 22/12/2022

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

The Vision is clear and succinct, however as presently drafted it doesn’t appear locally relevant and contains no spatially specific elements.
Taylor Wimpey supports the strategic objectives identified. These are considered succinct, locally relevant and relate to the most important areas of change or protection within the District.

Comment

Representation ID: 4580

Received: 22/12/2022

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

In terms of the strategic approach to the Green Belt there is an acceptance within the Local Plan that there needs to be changes to the Green Belt boundary to accommodate growth requirements within the Plan period. It is agreed that Green Belt release is necessary to deliver a sustainable spatial strategy.
Taylor Wimpey agrees that exceptional circumstances exist for Green Belt release within the District to allow for sustainable development within the plan period.
The Publication Plan recognises that the character of South Staffordshire is directly influenced by the fact that around 80% of the District lies within the West Midlands Green Belt. The rural nature of the District also results in a lack of brownfield opportunities to meet any future housing needs beyond the proposed plan period.

Comment

Representation ID: 4581

Received: 22/12/2022

Respondent: Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd

Agent: Evolve Planning & Design

Taylor Wimpey recognises that the Local Plan should set out ways in which the impact of removing land from the Green Belt can be offset through compensatory improvements to the environmental quality and accessibility of remaining Green Belt land as required by para 142 of the NPPF.
The strategic allocation at Cross Green identifies on land adjacent to the Strategic Development Location to provide compensatory improvements. Such improvements will include the provision of public access as part of an overall green infrastructure strategy that will also secure improvements to environmental quality of this land.