Dear Alvechurch Parish planning committee;

Please consider Hopwood resident’s objections to the two planning applications brought forward in Hopwood.

 

21/00873/FUL | Development of 22 dwellings, associated landscaping and siteworks and construction of new access from existing highway roundabout. | Land To Rear Of 1-6 Smedley Crooke Place Redditch Road Hopwood Worcestershire

 

1)This site has had many similar applications over the last decade or so…. all refused. This is no different to those others.

2)The land was an open agricultural green field years ago as can be seen on Google Earth time line pictures and was documented as so by Joe Turner a former BDC planning enforcement officer. It has now been manipulated by its owners to have  taken on the appearance of brown land, this is shocking, and the council should demand it be re-instated to its former green field appearance.

3)The fundamental aim of UK Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. It is for local authorities to define and maintain Green Belt land in their local areas; This application is on Green Belt Land.

4) Neighbourhood Plans (NP) gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area. Alvechurch Parish Council have a recently legally adopted NP and Policy H1 states that new housing for the parish should be located within the village boundary of Alvechurch Village, this application is outside of that location. Bromsgrove District Council has a duty to support that adopted Alvechurch Parish NP policy.

5) Hopwood is also included within the NP as Policy H2 e.) …. Is in suitable locations, on small infill plots giving opportunities for some well-designed self-build homes.. and H2 f.) f….Is within the built-up area and does not involve the outward extension of the village envelope as shown on the adopted Bromsgrove District Plan policies map.

6)Finally Bromsgrove District Council should uphold their own adopted Local District Plan policies that include the Alvechurch NP. Those policies do not support such repetitive applications, that if approved would cause irreparable damage to the Green Belt. Yet again this application shows no Special Circumstances why it should be approved in such a poorly located and unsustainable location on a major motorway approach road in a small hamlet.

Application type: Full Application Planning Reference: 21/00872/FUL;: Land Between The Croft And Hopwood Garden Centre, Ash Lane,

Much like the above application 21/00873/FUL | Development of 22 dwellings at Hopwood Island, Hopwood Residents Association object strongly also to this inappropriate application in the Green Belt and outside of the Hopwood Village envelope, and for the following reasons.

1) The fundamental aim of UK Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. It is for local authorities to define and maintain Green Belt land in their local areas; This application is on Green Belt Land.

2) Neighbourhood Plans (NP) gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area. Alvechurch Parish Council have a recently legally adopted NP and Policy H1 states that new housing for the parish should be located within the village boundary of Alvechurch Village, this application is outside of that location. Bromsgrove District Council has a duty to support that adopted Alvechurch Parish Neighbourhood Plan (APNP), policy.

3) Hopwood is also included within the APNP as Policy H2 e) ….Must be in suitable locations, on small infill plots giving opportunities for some well-designed self-build homes.. and H2 f) …. Is within the built-up area and does not involve the outward extension of the village envelope as shown on the adopted Bromsgrove District Plan policies map.

4) Finally, Bromsgrove District Council should uphold their own adopted Local District Plan policies that include the Alvechurch NP. Those policies do not support such repetitive applications, that if approved would cause irreparable damage to the Green Belt. Yet again this application shows no Special Circumstances why it should be approved in such a poorly located and unsustainable location on a major motorway approach road in a small hamlet

Regards: Adrian Smith,

Chairman of Hopwood Residents Association