Agenda item

To consider proposals on the Sandwell Local Plan and consulting on the draft plan. 

(1)     That approval be given to the Draft Sandwell Local Plan (Appendix A), Sustainability Appraisal Reports and consultation material for consultation commencing on 6 November 2023 for 6 weeks.

(2)     That Cabinet authorises the Director - Regeneration & Growth, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration & WMCA, be authorised to make minor and other necessary amendments, if required, to the Draft Sandwell Local Plan and its associated documents prior to the start of public consultation to enable effective consultation to be undertaken.

(3)     That a further report be presented to Cabinet summarising key issues raised during the consultation be submitted to a future meeting to inform preparation of the Publication of the Sandwell Local Plan under Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

Approval was sought to carry out the consultation on the Draft Sandwell Local Plan.

The Sandwell Local Plan would be comprised of the Sandwell 2041 - spatial vision, priorities and objectives, the Spatial Strategy, the Development Strategy, the Local Plan Policies, the Site Allocations, the Policies Map and Sustainability Appraisal.

The Chair of the Economy, Skills, Transport and Environment Scrutiny Board sought clarity on how the consultation would reach out to all members of the Sandwell community, how the Council would engage educational and NHS partners, what measures would be in place to address climate change and what percentage of new builds would be classified and retained as social housing.

In response, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and WMCA stated that the consultation would use all existing networks to reach as many people as possible, in addition exhibitions would be in place in libraries and leisure centres, an article would be included in the Sandwell Herald and a video would be produced and shared via social media. Stakeholder engagement was a key part of the work and the future infrastructure requirements had been and would continue to be discussed with the main infrastructure providers including educational and health providers. The Building Regulations required the installation of electric vehicle charging points in proposals for 10 or more dwellings. The minimum proportion of affordable housing that should be provided was 25%. 

However, the final amount delivered was dependent on the viability of the site. Of the amount of affordable housing provided, 25% of the affordable homes required by this policy would be First Homes tenure, of which 10% should be for affordable home ownership.  The remaining 75% of affordable homes would be for affordable rent. It was the Council’s intention that the affordable housing created would remain affordable in perpetuity. However, tenants living in affordable housing are able to purchase their home through the Right to Buy Scheme at a price lower than the full market value.

Reason for Decision

It was a statutory requirement of every Local Planning Authority to have an up-to-date Local Plan. Following the demise of the Black Country Plan in 2022, Sandwell had been producing its own plan – the Sandwell Local Plan. The Government had previously expressed a desire to see full Local Plan coverage across England by December 2023, or as soon as was practical after that date. However, the Government was currently consulting on a proposed new system for producing local plans and had indicated that the last date for submitting a revised local plan under the current system would be 30 June 2025. Officers had been working to a timetable that would enable the Sandwell Local Plan to be submitted prior to that date. The timetable for the production of the Local Plan was set out in the Sandwell Local Development Scheme which was available to view in the Planning Policy pages of the Sandwell website. The Draft Sandwell Local Plan was the next stage in the preparation of the Local Plan.

Alternative Options Considered

The preparation of a Local Plan was a statutory requirement under the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. The process for preparing a Local Plan was set out in additional legislation and guidance. As a result, there were no alternative solutions to the preparation of a new local plan for Sandwell, which was a matter of increasing urgency. Options relating to the form and content of the Local Plan had been set out in the report to Cabinet on 16 November 2022.

Resolved:-

(1)          that approval be given to the Draft Sandwell Local Plan (Appendix A), Sustainability Appraisal Reports and consultation material for consultation commencing on 6 November 2023 for 6 weeks;

(2)          that the Director - Regeneration & Growth, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration & WMCA, be authorised to make minor and other necessary amendments, if required, to the Draft Sandwell Local Plan and its associated documents prior to the start of public consultation to enable effective consultation to be undertaken;

(3)          that a further report be presented to Cabinet summarising key issues raised during the consultation be submitted to a future meeting to inform preparation of the Publication of the Sandwell Local Plan under Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.