The main purpose of the Solihull Unitary Development Plan (UDP) is to assess future land use needs - such as housing, business and shopping - and make provision for them by the designation of land.
The Plan does not only designate land for different uses but also protects land. There will continue to be protection policies to retain the Green Belt.
Solihull is part of the wider West Midlands Region and the Plan recognises the part that Solihull plays in the Region. A foundation for the policies in the Plan is the Secretary of State's Guidance for the West Midlands Region (RPG), published in 1998. The Plan period for this first review of the UDP is 1998-2011.
Along with most other towns in the country, Solihull will have to absorb more house building for the foreseeable future, although this will be at a lower rate than in the past. The need for more housing arises from the decline in the number of people living in each house and increasing numbers of elderly, rather than significant increase in population.
Change in Government policy means new housing growth
will focus on previously developed land (brownfield sites)
within the urban area rather than rely on greenfield sites which
in Solihull are mostly in the Green Belt.
The Council needs to provide 6000 new homes during the Plan period in order to comply with RPG which will arise from:
The economic importance of Solihull has increased substantially over the last 30 years. The Borough now makes a significant contribution to the regeneration of the West Midlands economy encouraged by Airport/NEC, town centre and business park developments that would not have been attracted to other parts of the Region.
Existing business sites, with land remaining to be
developed, are re-confirmed; a limited amount of new land for
general business activity, at Dog Kennel Lane, is allocated;
an extension to Blythe Valley Business Park provides for
further high quality business development; and a small extension
to Birmingham Business Park improves access. The Plan
also enables the further development of the NEC and
Airport within their respective boundaries.
In North Solihull, where unemployment remains persistently high, the Plan seeks to improve access to jobs and supports regeneration initiatives.
The importance of the Meriden Gap is emphasised in support of policies designed to protect the Green Belt around Solihull. The Green Belt provides a vital break between the West Midlands Conurbation and surrounding urban areas. As a result of the Plan 67% of the Borough will remain in the Green Belt. In addition to protecting the countryside from speculative development the plan will also provide encouragement for appropriate farm diversification schemes, employment and services in villages.
The Plan provides for the protection and enhancement of all aspects of the environment, as an essential part of sustainable development. It includes a commitment to prepare local design guidance to ensure that the new emphasis on development within urban areas does not destroy local character and distinctiveness.
Traffic congestion is a problem both nationally and locally. Congestion has economic and environmental costs. Policies in the Plan place less reliance on the motor car and seek to support proposals that encourage better public transport and other more sustainable methods of travel such as walking and cycling.
The proposals to improve public transport include a new Metro line along the A45, linking Birmingham City Centre with the Airport/NEC, and 4 Bus Showcase Routes along the principal roads through Solihull. Road improvements will also to be necessary to ease traffic congestion and improve local environments including the widening of the M42 and the retention of bypass/relief road lines around the villages of Balsall Common, Hockley Heath and Knowle.
The Plan aims to support retail centres that are accessible and can make a positive contribution to sustainable development principles.
In Solihull Town Centre the Plan supports
proposals that will strengthen its role in providing a broad range
of facilities and services in an attractive environment.
In Shirley Centre the Plan seeks to improve its attraction to shoppers including a new foodstore to draw shoppers into the Centre and environmental improvements.
In Chelmsley Wood
Centre the Plan supports proposals that will enhance its role as
the focus for the north of the Borough, including
redevelopment and modernisation and will examine its wider role in
meeting employment, educational and recreational aspirations.
Sport, Recreation, Leisure & the Arts
The Plan will ensure that open space and other
recreational facilities will be provided for new housing
development, support provision of leisure, arts, entertainment facilities
in town centres and promotes the provision of public art in
new developments.
There is also a proposal in the Plan to improve the
principal sports centres within the Borough at Tudor
Grange and North Solihull Sports Centre.
Waste Management
The amount of waste that we produce locally and nationally
is increasing. In the past our response would have been to
dig more holes in the countryside to landfill the waste. The
policies in this Plan, however, recognise that landfill should be a
last resort. Re-use and recycling of the waste that we
produce should be our primary consideration followed by
incineration with energy recovery. Waste transfer stations play
an important role in waste management - they enable waste to
be sorted and treated in the most sustainable way. It is
proposed to provide an enlarged waste transfer station on the
A45 Coventry Road adjacent to the Civic Amenities Site.
Minerals
Minerals are a unique land use. They exist in certain
locations as a consequence of geology and yet their extraction is vital
to the national and regional economy. In the case of Solihull it
is deposits of sand and gravel that are extracted. The
challenge is to manage their extraction in a way that reduces the
impact on the environment and yet enables Solihull to
contribute towards the regional targets for the supply of
aggregates. There is also a proposal in the Plan to prepare a strategy
for the after use of the area of sand and gravel deposits,
known locally as Meriden Sands.
Timetable
The Plan has been published. There was then period of time in which representations of support or objections to the Plan could be made. This period expired on 28 March 2002.
The Council will now analyse representations received and consider whether to amend the Plan. If it decides to make amendments then the Council will publish a second deposit Plan with a further period of time for objection.
Unresolved objections will then be heard at a Public
Local Inquiry, following which the Council will consider
the Inspector's report before formally adopting the Plan.
How to make representations of support
or raise objections to the Plan
This page aims to give a flavour of what is in the first deposit UDP review document. Those who wish to examine the proposals and policies in detail are encouraged to read the UDP review document which comprises the written statement and proposals map and is available to view online or at Solihull Connect and public libraries. Copies are also on sale at Solihull Connect, or by contacting the address below (price £20 + £3 post & package).
The closing date for representations of support or objections
was 28 March 2002