Site Location and Context
Background
The site comprises 1.6 hectares of agricultural land located on the northern edge of Hagley, Worcestershire, the majority of which lies within the administrative boundary of Bromsgrove District Council. (The majority of the site access however, lies within the administrative boundary of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council – and so duplicate planning applications will be submitted to each authority for consideration). It lies adjacent to the settlement boundary on its north eastern edge, offering a logical and sustainable extension to the residential area of the village. To the north and east, the site is bordered by fields and mature vegetation, contributing to its semi-rural character. The site is contained by mature hedgerows and established trees, forming a well-defined edge along its boundaries. Where possible, these natural features will be retained to enhance visual amenity for both existing and future residents.
Sustainably located, the site benefits from accessible public transport links, with bus stops on Worcester Lane within walking distance, offering services to Birmingham, Kidderminster, and surrounding areas. Hagley also has its own train station, allowing the development to benefit from the strategic links that it provides. A Public Right of Way currently runs along the northern boundary of the site, which will be preserved and enhanced as a green corridor, improving site permeability and access to the wide range of local amenities available within Hagley.
To the north of the development, an area of open green space will be provided, contributing strongly to local amenity. This area of the development will also accommodate Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDs) to reduce surface water runoff on the site. Preserving mature trees and hedgerows will create a green buffer between the development and the surrounding residential area and countryside. The proposed scheme is designed to balance the enhancement of biodiversity with the provision of high-quality green spaces for residents.
Overall, the site represents a suitable and sustainable location for new homes, free from significant environmental constraints. It offers the opportunity to deliver a high-quality residential development that integrates seamlessly with Hagley’s built form and supports the needs of both the existing and future community.
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Planning Policy
The site is in Bromsgrove District Council. The adopted Bromsgrove District Plan (2011-2030) sets out the strategic framework for development across the district. Within the adopted development plan Hagley is identified as part of a large settlement. After Bromsgrove town, new development will be directed to sustainable locations within larger settlements like Hagley.
As it was adopted in January 2017, the development plan reached its five-year threshold in January 2022. The NPPF says the policies most important to deciding applications can be treated as out-of-date if the Council cannot show a five-year housing land supply. In those cases, the presumption in favour of sustainable development becomes engaged.
The government has recently updated how housing need is calculated. The Council’s latest Housing and Land Supply Report published in December 2024, identified a 1.98-year Housing Land Supply against the required 5 years. This report indicates a clear shortfall in deliverable sites and highlights the need for additional development to meet this need.
Prior to the revised NPPF published in December 2024, development within the green belt was considered largely unrealistic. Under this revision, the exceptions of inappropriate development in the Green Belt were extended to include developments that will utilise grey belt land. Grey Belt is defined within the NPPF as “land in the Green Belt comprising previously developed land and/or any other land that, in either case does not strongly contribute to any purposes (a), (b) or (d) in paragraph 143” These purposes of the Green Belt are – to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built up areas; to prevent towns merging and to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns. We consider this site to be grey belt as it doesn’t contribute strongly to the purposes a, b or d in paragraph 143 in the NPPF.
Paragraph 155 of the Framework sets out that the development of homes in the Green Belt should not be regarded as inappropriate development where the following applies:
- a) – the development would utilise grey belt land and would not fundamentally undermine the purposes (taken together) of the remaining Green Belt across the area of the plan;
- b) – there is a demonstrable unmet need for the type of development proposed
- c) – the development would be in a sustainable location
The site is considered to be grey belt and the development of it will not fundamentally undermine the purposes of the Green Belt across the area of the plan – the site is relatively small in size and well contained within its boundaries, the Council can only demonstrate a 1.98 year supply of housing land and so there is a demonstrable need for housing, and the site is located within a sustainable location, with the wide range of services available in Hagley, accessible on foot. The connectivity of the site is further supported by regular bus and train services that provide links to the major centres of Stourbridge, Halesowen and Kidderminster. This makes the site an ideal location for addressing the shortfall in deliverable sites as our proposals will deliver much-needed housing in a sustainable location.
