Solihull Local Plan
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is responsible for developing a 15 year plan that defines the way development will be undertaken within the Borough to meet the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework. In particular, it defines the areas that will be available for housing development and any changes to greenbelt boundaries to facilitate that. The parish council has, like many other organisations and individuals, made representations at the various stages of local plan review which has been underway since 2015. Those representations are found on the following links and they have changed over time as the Solihull proposals have developed.
Berkswell Plan Submission December 2020
Berkswell Plan Submission March 2019
Berkswell Plan Submission February 2017
Berkswell Plan Submission January 2016
The parish council has also made informal representations directly and via our Borough Councillors to ensure that, as far as is practical, the Local Plan incorporates the design principles established within the Berkswell Neighbourhood Development Plan and reflects the council’s policy on the greenbelt and other issues such as infrastructure needs. Solihull Council has the lawful power to determine where housing is built and the Berkswell NDP seeks, via its planning policies, to guide how such development takes place to benefit existing and future residents.
The parish council has also agreed to meet various promotors of land for development in the draft Solihull Local Plan. The purpose of such meetings is to ensure that, as far as is practical, their eventual planning applications meet the design principles of the Berkswell NDP. Such meetings are reported at parish council meetings, recorded in the minutes and governed by the requirements of the Council’s policy on meeting outside bodies. In particular the Council has met with Pegasus who are the promoters for allocation BC1 (Barratts Farm) in the Solihull Plan and Catesby who are the promoters of allocation BC3 (Windmill Lane).
The results of the consultations with Pegasus and Solihull Council are reflected in the concept plans for Barratts Farm shown within the draft Solihull Plan. These have changed significantly from the early proposals following input from the parish council. Following the publication of the concept plans by Solihull Council, further discussions with Pegasus resulted in an “agreement” to provide additional ecological corridors. An email confirming this is shown in the Council’s December 2020 submission regarding the Solihull Plan. Discussions with Catesby have been conducted in conjunction with Balsall PC and the Balsall Common Village Residents’ Association because that site crosses the parish boundary. Those discussions went into significant detail to enhance the layouts shown in the concept plan for allocation BC3 which form part of the Solihull Plan. A record of those discussions is shown in this file. Notes of discussions with Catesby Estates PLC May 2021
Solihull Plan Update
The Solihull Plan covers the development plans for the Borough. The last ”made” plan was in 2013 and is currently subject to review. The draft plan is undergoing the final stages in this updating process. There are two key documents. The main plan showing the policies and housing numbers, including by site in Balsall Common. Secondly “concept plans” which represent the supporting planning policies on how individual sites should be laid out.
Main plan
Concept plans
https://www.solihull.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2020-12/SLPS-CMPs-Oct2020.pdf
The Solihull Plan update is subject to independent examination for “soundness”. The draft plan has been under examination since winter 2021 and as of autumn 2022 is still being examined.