Reviewing the Plan for Solihull’s Future

Reviewing the Plan for Solihull’s Future
Draft Local Plan
98. This reflects the guidance in the NPPF. Mostly notably core planning principles under the 8 th
and 11 th bullet points of paragraph 17.
99. It is also recognised that that some further structure is needed to assess sites that fall within
category (b)(iii). In doing so, a balance should be struck between concentrating
development in a relatively small number of locations and dispersing development over a
greater number of locations.
100. This balanced approach between concentration and dispersal has a number of advantages:
Concentration could support the UK Central masterplan and HS2 growth strategy,
and the investment priorities in ‘Solihull Connected’;
Focussing on urban areas and sustainable urban extensions provides the best
opportunity for achieving accessibility and delivering public transport improvements;
Larger scale developments offer the opportunity for significant infrastructure
improvements;
Provision for some smaller sites will assist the early delivery of housing during the
Plan period and support existing services;
A totally dispersed pattern of growth would be unlikely to deliver the scale of growth
required and be more likely to result in adverse impacts associated with piecemeal
development which would affect a greater area.
101. Therefore the following additional criteria are suggested for category (b)(iii) so that
development will be focussed in locations which are:
Located adjacent to a highly accessible settlement or;
Located adjacent to a settlement that although it may be less accessible, it has a
wide range of local services (including a secondary school) or;
Development that would be a proportionate addition adjacent to an existing
settlement that although is less accessible still has a limited range of services
available within it (including a primary school).
102. This approach would thus discourage development that is:
Isolated from any settlement;
A disproportionate addition to a settlement that only has a limited range of facilities;
Occurs in relatively less accessible locations;
Guiding Principles
103. In addition to the strategic objectives outlined above, some guiding principles have been
identified which can be used to help identify locations where development can be
appropriately located, and locations where development should be discouraged. Both the
strategic and guiding principles can then be used to assess broad options identified in the
Scope, Issues and Option consultation, together with assessing the call for sites
submissions/SHELAA outputs.
104. The guiding principles fall into two categories, either a consideration that may be in support
of a particular location/site or one that would indicate that the location/site is not
supported. Often there will be a balance to be struck and these considerations should be
seen in the ‘round’ rather than simple isolated assessments.
Solihull MBC - 34 - November 2016