Issue and Options 2023

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Chapter 3 – Vision and Strategic Objectives Q.V3.1: The Vision The Vision outlined in the Draft Plan is appropriate, as are the objectives of providing homes and jobs to support the needs of South Warwickshire and neighbouring authorities. Delivery of the SWLP should be achieved in a sustainable way that responds to the climate emergency and meets the five overarching objectives. This will ensure that the right development will be delivered in the right places. The Strategic Objective A number of the Strategic Objectives identified in the Draft Plan are appropriate and should be translated in to policy in the following way. • Providing infrastructure in the right place at the right time – New housing and employment allocations often require new infrastructure to support their development. There is the opportunity to include allocations in the SWLP that will deliver infrastructure that supports not just the proposed development, but also delivers facilities that can benefit the local area as a whole. For example, the introduction of a primary school as part of a wider development next to a village that has limited primary school capacity, or no primary school at all, is an example of how this objective could be met. • Developing opportunities for jobs is an entirely appropriate objective. – Delivering employment opportunities alongside new residential development proposals is an important way of creating job opportunities in sustainable locations. Furthermore, making residential allocations in locations that have easy access to employment opportunities by sustainable transport modes, such as rail and bus, should be the preferred approach in planning to support economic development. Residential and mixed use sites that can provide facilities to help and encourage people to work close to home should be supported. • Delivering homes that meet the needs of all our communities –Allocations should be focused at sustainable locations, or locations that can be made sustainable through the introduction of new services and facilities as part of the development. While the focus should be on larger strategic allocation that can make meaningful contributions to the housing need, smaller allocations will still be required to allow smaller settlements to meet their needs. • Contributing towards a net zero carbon target – Development opportunities that can provide significant amounts of green infrastructure and have access to services and facilities by sustainable means, such as train stations, and which can incorporate Active Travel should be preferred locations for allocations. • Connecting people to places – This is an important objective that will increase and improve access by sustainable and active travel modes. Allocations that are located close to public transport opportunities, educational facilities, green spaces, and employment opportunities, or can provide these opportunities on site, should be preferred. • Protecting and enhancing environmental assets – The SWLP should look to support allocations that can provide significant biodiversity net gain opportunities and high quality green infrastructure that will benefit not only the residents of development, but the environment as a whole.

The Sustainability Appraisal has been very broadly applied and as such does not accurately reflect the sustainability of land around the settlements. At Wilmcote, for example, the appraisal does not accurately assess the land in the vicinity of the station (Site 244) or the deliverability of the sustainable transport Growth Options at the site. Attached to these representations at Appendix 1 is a response to the Sustainability Appraisal.

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Yes

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Q-I2 – Please select the infrastructure delivery option which is most appropriate for South Warwickshire Option I2a: Set out infrastructure requirements for all scales, types and location of development The infrastructure requirements for the development strategy are critical in ensuring that development is deliverable and truly sustainable. One of the critical considerations in the site selection process should be the presence of onsite infrastructure at the site or the ability for development to provide it. As an example, the site in which BDW has an interest at Wilmcote Station is a large scale development next to a train station. The site will encourage improvements to the train station and enhance the sustainability credentials of the area generally, by providing a station car park, a new school, large areas of public open space and employment. As part of the site selection process the local authority should consider how the infrastructure already present or can be provided can benefit the existing and new communities. Q-I3 – Please select the CIL option which is most appropriate for South Warwickshire Option I3a: Establish a South Warwickshire CIL (or emerging new Infrastructure Levy) to support the delivery of the Plan The CIL requirements must be considered as part of the plans viability assessment. Q-I4.1 – Should we include a policy to safeguard specific infrastructure schemes within the SWLP? Yes. There are a series of existing infrastructure schemes proposed across both plan areas. It would be sensible to include a policy in the plan confirming the nature and location of these schemes. Q-I5 – Please provide any comments you wish to make about infrastructure, viability and deliverability The development strategy needs to be deliverable and viable and there needs to be confidence that the sites and locations that are allocated for development will come forward as expected. The allocation should be ‘deliverable’ as defined in the Glossary of the NPPF. It is appropriate that development proposals will be assessed through the South Warwickshire Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment and Infrastructure Delivery Strategy that are being prepared alongside a Viability Assessment to ensure that the proposals that are put forward are viable. In order to inform this process regard should be had to the site specific submissions put forward through the Call for Sites process. As part of their due diligence in promoting sites, BDW have undertaken a series of technical studies and a master planning process in order to ensure that their proposals are viable and deliverable. This includes liaising with key service providers such as Network Rail and West Midlands Trains.

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The South Warwickshire Urban Capacity Study is a useful document that confirms the indicative capacity of the settlements within the plan area. However, its conclusions must be treated with caution. In the first instance, it should not be assumed that all brownfield sites within the existing settlements could be brought forward for residential development. A number of these sites may be better suited for alternative uses such as employment or retail. In addition, a number of brownfield sites may not be suitable for residential development on viability grounds, or will be unable to support a “normal” S.106 package and result in reduced contributions towards affordable housing. This could be exacerbated by the introduction of NDSS standard housing and the other requirements of the emerging plan. Furthermore, the study does not consider the capacity of existing infrastructure to accommodate development, for example education and health. There may be infrastructure constraints that prevent some sites being developed, or a lack of services and facilities nearby that make sites unsustainable locations for residential development. There is currently insufficient information available to establish the role brownfield sites can play in help meeting the Plan’s housing requirement. If there is evidence to suggest that there are specific sites that warrant an allocation in the emerging plan, that is an appropriate approach. However, all other opportunities of this nature should be treated as windfall sites and included in the Plan’s windfall allowance.

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The inclusion of Wilmcote in the Settlement Analysis is appropriate. The Wilmcote Settlement Analysis suggest that the land to the east of the railway and the south of Featherbed Lane, has connectivity grade “C”. This is due to the fact that the railway line acts as a barrier into Wilmcote. It is suggested that this is not likely to be “too big of a problem” if this area is subject to small scale development, however, any proposals for a large scale development in this location would be problematic as there is only one point of connection into Wilmcote. This assertion is incorrect. BDW are proposing a large scale mixed use development at this location. This will include upgraded connection to the railway station and Wilmcote generally by improving the Featherbed Lane/Birmingham Road junction. This will create an improved access to the train station from Birmingham Road through the site and would include the provision of a P&R style car park adjacent to the station. In addition, the proposed scheme will deliver a new school, employment opportunities and a variety of services and facilities alongside significant areas of open space and will be sustainable in its own right. Indeed, the nature of the development proposed will greatly enhance the sustainability of Wilmcote generally making it a more complete settlement in terms of services and facilities. The Local Facilities Assessment within the Settlement Analysis identifies a relatively limited number of services and facilities within the vicinity of Wilmcote which would be greatly enhanced by the services and facilities being provided by BDW as a part of their development proposals. It would result in the provision of a new school, employment opportunities, places to meet and large areas of public open space and leisure areas. This provision will be of benefit not only to the residents of the proposed scheme, but the residents of Wilmcote generally. The proposal will result in new car parking for Wilmcote station. BDW are discussions with Network Rail and West Midlands Trains who would welcome the provision of a station car park for train passengers in order to increase footfall at the station.