THE BROMSGROVE District Local Plan Draft Development Strategy will go out to consultation after being voted through.
At tonight’s extraordinary full council meeting, 18 members voted for and eight against.
Below is what happened earlier and how three hours of debate unfolded.
The time is now 9pm and the meeting has been going on for three hours.
Latest views from the floor
Coun Bernard McEldowney (Independent) said he would be voting in favour.
Although this one model was not ideal, it would open the discussion on sites which were suitable (and not on the draft strategy plan list).
They could then be brought forward.
Coun Rob Hunter (Lib Dem) accused other members of scaremongering that if the plan was turned down, the Government would seek out Bromsgrove and take over the planning process.
He said the councillors agreed on more than they disagreed with.
Everyone agreed more homes were needed, the waiting lists for housing were too long.
But, he also said, delaying this for a couple of months so it could be brought back with more options would be a good idea.
He said he would be voting against.
Coun Sam Ammar (Lib Dem) said the process started with landowners invited to submit sites they thought were suitable for development but this did not mean homes would be built there.
But, by having just one option and having the most viable on that list made them more likely to be developed.
She said it was unfair to put just one model forward.
Coun Hopkins (Labour) said he would be voting in favour of the item so the process and the consultation could begin and people could start having their say.
Coun Karen May (Conservative) stressed this was a first step to secure long-term control of development in the district.
She added this was not a final plan, this was a full consultation and was the best option for residents to have their say.
She said: ‘We need to start somewhere and by launching this consultation, we are enabling everyone to have their say.”
She said the council needed to know where the most traffic congestion was, where there were no buses, where there were no GP appointments, where parents did not get their first choice school.
She added she had 3,000 homes proposed in her ward and mire than 500 in her county council division and would be battling all the way to find the evidence if sites were not suitable.
“We are duty-bound to put together this plan and failing to do so could lose us control of the planning process.
“We need everyone to come forward, tell us as much as they can so we can get the right development in the right places.”
Coun Sue Baxter (Independent) said a total of 9,000 homes were needed and this was the first step of the consultation.
She added the sites had been chosen by officers with the evidence available – they were considered the most suitable.
But she added there was a site in her area and she was going to fight to find the evidence to prove when sites were not suitable and urged everyone to do the same.
Then any sites that were not suitable could be refused and other – more suitable – sites could be put forward.
Coun Josh Robinson (Lib Dem) said councillors in every other party apart from the Conservatives wanted more than one option but only one came forward. Coun David Nicholl (Lib Dem) added at least one Conservative councillor also wanted more than one option.
Coun Mick Marshall (Labour) said he was not going to vote in favour of this consultation as he felt there should be more than one option.
There were six well-worked options, which included one with 32,000 homes.
He felt three should have been put forward. But he said the risks of opportunist developers coming forward to take advantage of there being no Local Plan in place.
Bromsgrove was currently exposed to hostile development so the process of working towards a Local Plan should begin as soon as possible.
Coun Steve Colella (Independent) said there was a mixed message.
He felt there should be more than one option. But was told if he voted against this one, then there was a danger the Government could get involved.
However, if there is no Local Plan in place, there is a danger the district could fall victim to opportunist and hostile developers.
Coun Charles Hotham (independent) said he also felt there should be more than one option.
By having just one it was over-simplifying the process and patronising the public.
But he also said for the Conservative group to suggest residents could go through all 400 sites was over-complicating it and people would be less likely to engage
Coun Peter McDonald (Labour) said every council in the land, by law, was tasked with coming up with a Local Plan for the area it represented.
He warned that not doing so could see Government intervention. In response the monitoring officer said the Government did councils to have a Local Plan.
This would be a 15-year plan for how and where development should go and what infrastructure should be in place.
She added every authority should have a five-year supply of land for housing.
Bromsgrove currently has neither an up-to-date Local Plan and a five-year supply of land for housing.
Government would be monitoring local councils to see how they are progressing.
Coun Siobhan Robinson (Lib Dem) said she felt this should not go forward as it is with one option.
Residents should not be asked to come up with their own ideas – unless they wanted to. She said she would not be voting for it and would be voting against.
The Introduction of the report
Coun Kit Taylor, the Bromsgrove District Council member responsible for planning, introduced the report and said he wanted to make it clear that this meeting was not to decide or accept any sites or any development.
It was to decide whether the Bromsgrove Local Plan (officially known as the ‘Bromsgrove Districk Local Plan Draft Development Strategy’).
He said the council was in a difficult decision as the Government requires Bromsgrove to build 9,000 homes in the next 15 years.
What made it harder – he said – was that Bromsgrove District was 89 per cent green belt.
He added a total of 400 sites had been put forward and all could be commented on.
But he said provided it was agreed to be put out to consultation, he wanted everyone to have their say.
He said: “Don’t blame and complain. Don’t complain and abstain. Make sure you have your say.”
If you think a site has insufficient schools or not enough doctors or dental surgeries – say so.
“Imdividual comments are needed – your views are needed.”
There were laughs and jeers from the public gallery when he said all housing developments would have the right infrastructure they needed.
