Object
Solihull Local Plan (Draft Submission) 2020
Representation ID: 14932
Received: 14/12/2020
Respondent: The Home Builders Federation Midland Region
Legally compliant? Not specified
Sound? No
Duty to co-operate? Not specified
Policy P4D (Bullet Point 1):
- HBF supportive of policies to encourage self & custom build.
- Not supportive of policy requirements for 5% SCB on developments of 100+ dwellings.
- Council should not seek to burden developers with responsibility for delivery of SCB – contrary to national guidance.
- Council role should be to engage with landowners and encourage them to consider SCB, and not go beyond that.
- No rational for 100 dwelling threshold, or 5% provision.
- Could result in mis-match of provision, and oversupply of plots on larger housing sites in urban locations against demand for single plots in rural areas.
- Provision of self & custom build serviced plots must be justified by credible and robust evidence.
- Self build register may indicate a level of expression of interest in SCB but it cannot be reliably translated into actual demand, should such plots be made available.
- Council policy approach should be realistic and deliverable, and not remain unsold.
- Vacant plots could affect Council’s HLS.
- SCB serviced plots on larger developments adds complexity and slows delivery and difficult to coordinate different construction logistics.
- Where plots are unsold, policy should be clear these revert to the original developer. Reversion timescale should be as short as possible, 12 months is too long.
- Disagree with the Viability evidence on self-build plots, does not take into account all the cost.
- Policy will cause delay to processing planning applications and slow housing delivery.
- No robust evidence for demand for plots on larger housing sites.
Policy P4D should be deleted.
See attached letter