Development of land adjacent to Braggs Farm Lane and Rumbush Lane, Dickens Heath. Welcome. Today s exhibition. The proposal site

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1 Welcome Welcome to this event to discuss the development of land adjacent to Braggs Farm Lane. is currently in the preliminary stages of designing proposals to sensitively develop this site with high-quality new homes and public open space, ahead of submitting a full planning application to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (Solihull MBC) in June is one of the country s most successful home builders. Established over 40 years ago, the company s reputation is founded on the highest standards, providing family homes, town houses and apartments. David Wilson Homes is officially the highest quality major house builder having been awarded an exclusive 5 Star Housebuilders Award by the Homebuilders Federation. Today s exhibition Today s exhibition presents our preliminary plans and ideas about how the site could be developed with new homes and public open space. We welcome your feedback on the proposals presented here today, which will help us to create a development that will complement and enhance its surroundings and integrate into the local community. The proposal site The proposal site is located to the south of the main settlement of Dickens Heath. The site is bounded to the west by Rumbush Lane and to the south by Braggs Farm Lane. To the east, the site is bordered by an area of open land which has been safeguarded from development as a local country park. To the north, the site is bounded by existing homes, including Kiln Lane and Hirdemons Way, which was developed by, as Phase 1, in the late 1990s. This site is ideally suited to deliver new homes, being close to local amenities, including shops and services in the village centre and other nearby community facilities, including the primary school and country park. As explained in further detail on the following exhibition boards, the proposal site has been safeguarded for future housing by Solihull MBC for some considerable time. Examples of developments

2 Planning background The development of the proposal site with new homes will help to meet the Borough s housing needs, including the provision of much needed affordable housing. Solihull MBC needs to deliver 8,665 new homes between 2012 and To date, the Council has struggled to deliver the planning permissions necessary to bring forward enough housing in the Borough. The Council cannot currently demonstrate a five year supply of future land to provide the new housing required on. As a result, the Council is now looking at sustainable housing proposals favourably, provided they are unconstrained and relate well to existing settlements. The proposal site has always been envisaged for development and formed part of the original masterplan for Dickens Heath back in the early 1990s. The site was considered suitable for allocation for new housing at the 2004 Unitary Development Plan Public Inquiry, which was agreed by a Government Planning Inspector. Solihull MBC identified the site again as a draft allocation for new housing in the Solihull Draft Local Plan Submission Document, September 2012 (Site 17, Braggs Farm / Bricklin Farm, Dickens Heath). This document was submitted to the Secretary of State for further consideration in September Solihull MBC consider the site has an estimated capacity to deliver up to 105 new dwellings at a density of 40 dwellings per hectare. We are proposing a development of 61 dwellings at 23 dwellings per hectare. Aerial view of the site

3 The proposal preliminary plans seek to provide a sensitively designed residential development with the proposed new homes accommodated alongside a new area of public open space. The preliminary plans include: New homes A good mix of high-quality new homes, including two, three, four and five bedroom properties, to cater for the broadest markets including families and first time buyers, and to create a balanced community It is considered that the proposal site could acceptably accommodate 61 new homes Importantly, 40% of the new homes proposed, 24 properties, would be built as affordable housing for local people New public open space The proposed new homes would be arranged around a central area of new public open space This space could be used for local recreation and would provide a new attractive landscaped feature within the development Pedestrian links Pedestrian access to the site would be provided from Hirdemons Way, Kiln Lane and Rumbush Lane creating a permeable development and informal linkage with Dickens Heath village centre Landscaping A landscaped buffer, measuring approximately 25m in width, would also be provided between the proposed development and existing homes The plans also include new tree planting and landscaping, as well as tree retention where possible, to further ensure the proposals contribute to the character of the local area Access A vehicle access point to serve the majority of the development is proposed via Hirdemons Way and Kiln Lane, which complies with highway safety standards Seven properties are also proposed fronting onto Rumbush Lane; these properties would have their own individual access points Car parking Car parking would be provided for each property in accordance with the requirement of the local highway authority, with at least two car parking spaces per dwelling (not including garages) Proposed elevations

4 This board shows how the proposal site could be developed. The plan presented is contained within the current site boundary. Proposed layout We welcome your views on the preliminary plans presented.

5 This board shows how the proposal site could be developed. The plan presented is contained within the current site boundary. Proposed layout We welcome your views on the preliminary plans presented.

6 Proposed design New homes The proposed new homes would be predominantly two storeys and two storeys with rooms in the roof space. Design The design of the proposed new homes adopts a traditional approach, whilst creating its own distinctive character, synonymous with the David Wilson Homes brand The design for Dickens Heath would incorporate building materials and architectural features associated with the local area, including traditional brick and render, with the addition of traditional features such as chimneys and porches to reflect the existing styles found in Dickens Heath A future planning application would be accompanied by a detailed Design and Access Statement to demonstrate that the proposed design has been fully assessed and contributes to the character of the local area Illustrations of some of the house types proposed for Dickens Heath.

7 Access from Rumbush Lane Access Access from Kiln Lane The majority of the proposed new homes, approximately 54, would be accessed via a single new vehicle access point via Hirdemons Ways and Kiln Lane. Due to the allocation for future housing, when originally built the existing road layout, including its junction with Rumbush Lane, was designed to accommodate significantly higher levels of development. Typically, a road built to this standard is deemed acceptable in highway terms to accommodate up to 150 new homes as a cul-de-sac. The provision of 54 new homes via this access would be an appropriate location for serving the proposed development. Kiln Lane The proposed access has already been assessed by specialist highway consultants and discussed with Solihull MBC Highways Officers (the local Highway Authority), to ensure it complies with appropriate highway safety standards. Seven new homes fronting Rumbush Lane would be accessed via individual driveways on Rumbush Lane. In traffic generation terms, the proposed development is expected to generate around movements in each of the main peak hours (8am 9am and 5pm 6pm), which could be accommodated by the existing road network. When a planning application is submitted, it will be supported by a Traffic Statement (TS) which will fully consider all highway issues associated with this proposal. Construction Should planning permission be granted, the routing, access and hours of work of the construction traffic would be agreed, prior to the commencement of construction, with Solihull MBC. consider that it is likely that construction traffic would be permitted to enter the site via Rumbush Lane to ensure minimal disruption to existing residents.

8 Proposed new balancing ponds for sustainable drainage Drainage Ecology A Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and modelling of the existing ditches have been submitted to Solihull MBC for comment ahead of a future planning application. The Flood Risk Assessment will fully consider surface water run-off from both the proposal site and the surrounding area. To ensure surface water run-off is dealt with appropriately, the proposed design accommodates a number of Sustainable Urban Drainage features (SUDs) such as two new balancing ponds. These have been designed as shallow drainage channels with gentle side slopes in the ground where water running off the site and the surrounding area can collect and soak away. Balancing ponds can also become very attractive habitats for local wildlife and are often planted with native plants to encourage local biodiversity. The provision of two new balancing ponds, which have been designed to accommodate a 1 in 100 year rainfall plus 30%, will improve the surface water drainage problems currently experienced in the immediate local area. Due to the current undeveloped nature of the site, has also undertaken extensive ecological surveys, including surveys for reptiles and mammals, to ensure that local wildlife is fully considered. The ecological surveys conclude that the site has limited ecological value and no significant ecological constraints which would prevent development at the site. However, it was noted that the Dickens Heath Ponds Site of Importance to Nature Conservation (SINC) is located directly to the east of the site. A Great Crested Newt Survey of the SINC has however confirmed that there are no Great Crested Newts present within the pond. To ensure that the SINC is unaffected by the proposed development, a Construction Method Statement will be required.

9 Summary of benefits, timescales and feedback Benefits Development of a site which has been identified as acceptable for new housing, which lies close to local facilities A high-quality, sensitive residential development, providing new homes at a time when Solihull MBC is short of housing Provision of new affordable housing Provision of areas of attractive open space for use by the wider community Improvements to surface water drainage through the introduction of two new balancing ponds Timescales Following this event, will review the feedback received and use the views to inform the next stage of the design, prior to submitting a full planning application to the Council. The proposed timescale for this is as follows: Feedback to be received on the preliminary plans for the site by 14 June 2013 Plans for site to be reconsidered Amendments to be made Planning application to be submitted by end of June 2013 Development of land adjacent to Braggs Farm Lane and Rumbush Lane, Dickens Heath Feedback Your feedback is important to us. Let us know what you think about the proposals here today. The comments made will be fed back into the planning process before the application is submitted. We ll also keep you informed regarding the progress of the application. You can pop your completed form in the ballot box or send it to by post, fax or . Closing date for feedback is 14 th June 2013 Telephone: Fax: feedback@consultation-online.co.uk Post: Remarkable Engagement, The Pump House, Garnier Road, Winchester, SO23 9QG Web: Please let us know your contact details below: Name: Address: Development of land adjacent to Braggs Farm Lane and Rumbush Lane, Dickens Heath What do you think about the plans to redevelop this site with new homes and public open space? Feedback Thank you for taking the time to view our proposals. Your feedback is very important to us. Please take the time to fill out a feedback form. Postcode: Telephone: Please tick if you do not wish to be kept informed about this proposal Do you have any comments on the design of the proposed house types and the development layout? Do you have any further comments about the proposals? Examples of developments