Reviewing the Plan for Solihull’s Future

Reviewing the Plan for Solihull’s Future
Draft Local Plan
• The alternative use will support sustainable development principles and will
directly support employment locally;
• There is no conflict with other policies of the Local Plan or National Planning
Policy.
The Council will encourage the retention of small and medium sized enterprises, and the
creation of new ones, both in urban and rural areas as a key economic driver and to help
facilitate growth in a broad variety of locations, including North Solihull as a priority,
subject to the following criteria:
• Form, use and scale are appropriate to the character of the particular
location.
• There is no significant harm to the local environment, including landscape
quality and character.
• Proposals for home-working are compatible with the character of the local
environment and are consistent with the amenity policies of the Local Plan.
• The land or premises are not in the Green Belt or are compliant with Green
Belt policy.
• In the case of development in rural areas, it is consistent with the Council’s
countryside policies and does not undermine the quality and character of
the natural environment.
The Council will expect development proposals on business sites to include the necessary
infrastructure to accommodate high capacity digital communication.
In order to encourage sustainable access to business developments and reduce the need to
travel, applicants for planning permission for business use will be expected to demonstrate
the anticipated level of employment that will be generated and how this will be of benefit
to meet local employment needs.
Employment development will not be allowed where it sterilises natural resources or key
sites needed to secure sustainable development, particularly in regard to provision for
distributed heat and energy networks.
Justification
164. The Borough is home to a number of business sites of more local significance of varying age
and quality. These are important for local employment opportunities to provide a broad
range of business accommodation in terms of type and size and a number of them have
land that remains to be developed, for instance Fore . Other older sites, such as Cranmore
Industrial Estate, Boulton Road and Elmdon Trading Estate, provide some further
opportunities through redevelopment of older outmoded premises.
Solihull MBC - 60 - November 2016