Agenda item

To approve the the West Bromwich Interim Planning Statement and West Bromwich Masterplan.

Resolved:

1.1. That Cabinet note the outcome of the public consultation and the response to the representations received.

1.2 That Cabinet approve the West Bromwich Interim Planning Statement and West Bromwich Masterplan.

Consideration was given to the outcome of the public consultation on the West Bromwich Interim Planning Statement (IPS) and West Bromwich Masterplan (Masterplan) and the response to the representations received.

Approval was sought for the West Bromwich Interim Planning Statement (IPS) and West Bromwich Masterplan (Masterplan) documents.

The Chair of the Economy, Skills, Transport and Environment Scrutiny Board asked questions regarding plans in place to secure sufficient funding to deliver the masterplan, timescales for completion of a new market/hub area and where existing indoor market stall holders would be relocated whilst works on new market area were carried out.

In response, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Growth stated that regarding the funding the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) had expressed a willingness in principle to provide support, but the nature and timing of their involvement was dependent on further detailed and site-specific viability work which needed to take place. Officers were considering options to procure a development partner to work with the council on the delivery of the masterplan. A proposal on this would be brought to Cabinet during 2022. It was envisaged that once the development partner was in place it would be possible to be more specific about precise requirements, which would enable discussions with WMCA to progress.

Regarding the timescales for completion of the new market area, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Growth confirmed that the Council had acquired the former Argos units and a business plan was being prepared for the conversion of that space into a new indoor market. It was intended that the indoor market would continue to operate in its current location until the new space was ready. Specific timings for the delivery of the wider community hub area had not been determined as this would need to be considered as part of the wider masterplan delivery strategy.

The Chair of the Economy, Skills, Transport and Environment Scrutiny Board asked further questions regarding whether there were plans in place to replace the current paving on the main high street with better material as the existing paving was of poor quality and very difficult to keep clean, requiring BID levy to cover the extra costs of jet washing.

In response, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Growth stated that currently, the Council was at the masterplan stage, meaning no details around specific material choices had been agreed. Material choices would form an important part of the schemes at future stages and the Council was willing to learn from other local authorities’ public realm schemes, including materials used in those schemes, to help inform its public realm material choices in the future.

The Chair of the Economy, Skills, Transport and Environment Scrutiny Board enquired whether a separate masterplan was envisaged for each of the other town centres in the borough. The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Growth responded that there was currently no intention to develop this type of masterplan in all other town centres in the Borough, although it was possible that some towns would require masterplans in the future. Smethwick and Rowley Regis already had Town Investments Plans that were produced to support the Towns Fund submissions, and whilst these documents were not masterplans, they did set out areas for future investment. Also, there was a clear need to ensure regeneration opportunities in our other towns were maximised and a borough wide regeneration strategy and pipeline was therefore to be considered by Cabinet in March. This would set out some of the actions needed to ensure our town centres did not experience further decline.

Reason for Decision

Following public consultation, approval of the West Bromwich Interim Planning Statement (IPS) and associated West Bromwich Masterplan (the Masterplan) would provide the Council with an updated framework to guide the further regeneration of West Bromwich, the Borough’s Strategic Centre. The documents were to bridge the gap between the current statutory Local Plan document, the 2012 West Bromwich Area Action Plan, and its replacement expected to be adopted in 2024.

Alternative Options Considered

To not proceed with endorsing the West Bromwich Interim Planning Statement (IPS) and West Bromwich Masterplan was not the preferred option as the existing development planning framework, as set out in the West Bromwich Area Action Plan, was becoming increasingly out of date. This would diminish the prospects of securing investment and development for the continued regeneration of West Bromwich.

It was considered that not providing an IPS and Masterplan would mean this gap between the existing Local Plan and the WBAAP, and its revised version, after 2024 at the earliest, would be too great. The IPS and Masterplan would form a material planning consideration that could fill this gap.

Agreed:-

(1)     that the outcome of the public consultation and the response to the representations received in relation to West Bromwich Interim Planning Statement (IPS) and West Bromwich Masterplan (Masterplan) be noted;

(2)     that the West Bromwich Interim Planning Statement and West Bromwich Masterplan be approved.