Object
Solihull Local Plan (Draft Submission) 2020
Representation ID: 14762
Received: 09/12/2020
Respondent: St Philips Land - Land at Smiths Lane Browns Lane & Widney Manor Road
Agent: Savills
Legally compliant? Yes
Sound? No
Duty to co-operate? Yes
Point 3 sets out specific requirements for housing mix. This is not effective as it does not provide developers with flexibility. Housing mix should be considered at application stage in accordance with the HEDNA 2020.
The housing mix proposed in the HEDNA provides a range for each dwelling type which reflects the ‘latest’ evidence in 2020. However, market demand changes so this ‘latest’ evidence may not be representative of need when planning applications are submitted in the future. As developers and national housebuilders have vested interests in building products that are deliverable and meet market needs, Solihull should not have a fixed size and type guidance, as this could affect development viability, lead to inflexibility and result in obstructing development.
Request that the Council remove references to mix (point 3) from Policy P4C and insert indicative housing mix ranges in accordance with the HEDNA within the explanatory text. Developers should be ‘encouraged’ not required to accord with the mixes set out in the explanatory text. This is the approach the LPA has taken to density requirements (Policy P5) in the Submission Draft and we consider this flexible approach should be used for market housing mix. Market demand at the time of the application should play an important role in determining the mix of dwellings delivered on a site.
See attached documents