Sustainability Appraisal of the Sandwell Local Plan 2024-2041

Ended on the 11 November 2024

7 The preferred approach

Sandwell Local Plan policies

N94 Following comments received during the Regulation 18 consultations and recommendations set out in the SA reports, SMBC have revisited the policies of the SLP. There are a total of 88 proposed policies within the SLP.

N95 The proposed SLP policies seek to support the delivery of sustainable growth within Sandwell. The policies will help to ensure that potential adverse impacts on sustainability identified as a result of the development proposed within the SLP are avoided, mitigated or subject to compensatory measures wherever possible and that development proposals are accompanied by relevant supporting information to ensure that the impacts of development can be appropriately factored into land use decision making processes.

N96 The 88 SLP policies are listed below in Table 6.1 and have been assessed in Appendix F alongside the proposed vision and strategic objectives of the SLP.

Table N.15: Sandwell Local Plan Policies

Policy Ref.

Policy name

Development Strategy

SDS1

Spatial Strategy for Sandwell

SDS2

Increasing Efficiency and Resilience

SDS3

Regeneration in Sandwell

SDS4

Towns and Local Areas

SDS5

Achieving Well-designed Places

SDS6

Cultural Facilities and the Visitor Economy

SDS7

Sandwell's Green Belt

SDS8

Green and Blue Infrastructure in Sandwell

Sandwell's Natural and Historic Environment

SNE1

Nature Conservation

SNE2

Protection and Enhancement of Wildlife Habitats

SNE3

Provision, Retention and Protection of Trees, Woodlands and Hedgerows

SNE4

Geodiversity and the Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark

SNE5

The Rowley Hills

SNE6

Canals

SHE1

Listed buildings and Conservation Areas

SHE2

Development in the Historic Environment

SHE3

Locally Listed Buildings

SHE4

Archaeology

Climate Change

SCC1

Energy Infrastructure

SCC2

Reducing Operational Carbon for New Build Non-residential Development

SCC3

Climate-adapted Design and Construction

SCC4

Embodied Carbon and Waste

SCC5

Flood Risk

SCC6

Sustainable Drainage

Health and Wellbeing in Sandwell

SHW1

Health Impact Assessments

SHW2

Healthcare Infrastructure

SHW3

Air Quality

SHW4

Open Space and Recreation

SHW5

Playing Fields and Sports Facilities

SHW6

Allotments

Sandwell's Housing

SHO1

Delivering Sustainable Housing Growth

SHO2

Windfall Developments

SHO3

Housing Density, Type and Accessibility

SHO4

Affordable Housing

SHO5

Delivering Accessible and Self/ Custom Housing

SHO6

Protecting Family Housing (Use Class C3)

SHO7

Houses in Multiple Occupation

SHO8

Education Facilities

SHO9

Accommodation for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

SHO10

Housing for People with Specific Needs

Sandwell's Economy

SEC1

Providing for Economic Growth and Jobs

SEC2

Strategic Employment Areas

SEC3

Local Employment Areas

SEC4

Other Employment Sites

SEC5

Improving Access to the Labour Market

SEC6

Relationship Between Industry and Sensitive Uses

Sandwell's Centres

SCE1

Sandwell's Centres

SCE2

Non-E Class Uses in Town Centres

SCE3

Town Centres (Tier-two Centres)

SCE4

District and Local Centres (Tier-three Centres)

SCE5

Provision of Small-scale Local Facilities Not in Centres

SCE6

Edge of Centre and Out of Centre Development

West Bromwich

SWB1

West Bromwich Strategic Centre

SWB2

Development in West Bromwich

Transport

STR1

Priorities for the Development of the Transport Network

STR2

Safeguarding the Development of the Key Route Network (KRN)

STR3

Managing Transport Impacts of New Development

STR4

The Efficient Movement of Freight & Logistics

STR5

Creating Coherent Networks for Cycling and Walking

STR6

Influencing the Demand for Travel and Travel Choices

STR7

Network Management

STR8

Parking Management

STR9

Planning for Low Emission Vehicles

STR10

Transport Innovation and Digital Connectivity

Infrastructure and Delivery

SID1

Infrastructure Provision and Viability Assessments

SID2

Digital Infrastructure

SID3

5G Network Infrastructure

SID4

Communications Infrastructure/ Equipment

Waste and Minerals

SWA1

Waste Infrastructure Future Requirements

SWA2

Waste Sites

SWA3

Preferred Areas for New Waste Facilities

SWA4

Locational Considerations for New Waste Facilities

SWA5

Resource Management and New Development

SMI1

Minerals Safeguarding

SMI2

Managing the Effects of Mineral Development

Development Constraints and Industrial Legacy

SCO1

Hazardous Installations and Substances

SCO2

Pollution Control

SCO3

Land Contamination and Instability

Development Management

SDM1

Design Quality

SDM2

Development and Design Standards

SDM3

Tall Buildings and Gateway Sites

SDM4

Advertisements

SDM5

Shop Fronts and Roller Shutters

SDM6

Hot Food Takeaways

SDM7

Management of Hot Food Takeaways

SDM8

Gambling Activities and Alternative Financial Services

SDM9

Community Facilities

SDM10

Telecommunications

The impact matrices for the policy assessments are presented in Table N.16. These impacts should be read in conjunction with the full assessment narrative presented in Appendix F.

Table N.16: Summary of policy assessments

	SA1	SA2	SA3	SA4	SA5	SA6	SA7	SA8	SA9	SA10	SA11	SA12	SA13	SA14
Policy Ref	Cultural Heritage	Landscape	Biodiversity	CC Mitigation	CC Adaptation	Natural Resources	Pollution	Waste	Transport	Housing	Equality	Health	Economy	Education
SDS1	+	+	+	+	+	+	-	-	+	+	+	+	+	+
SDS2	+	+	+	++	+	+	+	0	+	0	0	+	0	0
SDS3	+	+	+	+	0	++	+	0	+	+	+	+	++	+
SDS4	0	0	+	+/-	0	+	0	0	+	+	+	+	+	0
SDS5	++	++	0	+	+	0	+	0	+	0	+	+	0	0
SDS6	+	+	0	+	0	0	0	0	+	0	+	+	+	0
SDS7	+	+	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0
SDS8	+	+	+	+	+	0	+	0	0	0	0	+	+	0
SNE1	0	+	++	+	+	0	+	0	0	0	0	+	0	0
SNE2	0	+	++	+	+	0	+	0	0	0	0	+	0	0
SNE3	0	+	+	+	+	+	+	0	0	0	0	+	0	0
SNE4	+	+	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	+
SNE5	+	++	++	0	+	0	+	0	0	0	0	+	0	0
SNE6	+	+	+	0	+	0	+	0	+	+	+	+	+	0
SHE1	++	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SHE2	++	+	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0
SHE3	+	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SHE4	+	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+
SCC1	0	0	0	++	+	0	++	+	0	0	+	+	+	0
SCC2	0	0	0	++	+	0	++	+	0	0	0	+	+	0
SCC3	0	0	+	+	++	+	+	0	0	0	0	+	0	0
SCC4	0	0	0	++	0	0	+	++	0	0	0	0	+	0
SCC5	0	0	+	0	++	+	+	0	0	0	0	+	0	0
SCC6	0	+	+	0	+	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SHW1	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	+	0	+	++	0	0
SHW2	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	+	0	+	++	0	0
SHW3	0	0	+	+	0	0	++	0	+	0	0	+	+	0
SHW4	0	+	+	+	+	0	+	0	+	0	+	++	0	0
SHW5	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	+	+	0	0
SHW6	0	+	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	+	0	0
SHO1	+/-	+/-	+	0	-	-	-	-	+	+	+	+	0	+
SHO2	0	0	0	+/-	+/-	+	+/-	+/-	+/-	+	+/-	+/-	+/-	+/-
SHO3	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	+	+	+	+	0	0
SHO4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	+	0	0	0
SHO5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	+	+	0	0
SHO6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	+	0	0	0
SHO7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	+	+	+	0	0
SHO8	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	+	0	+	+	+	++
SHO9	0	0	+	-	0	0	-	0	+	+	+	+	0	+
SH010	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	+	+	0	0
SEC1	+/-	+/-	+	+	-	-	-	+	+	0	+	0	+	+
SEC2	+/-	0	0	+/-	0	0	+/-	+/-	+	0	+	0	+	0
SEC3	+/-	0	0	+/-	0	0	+/-	+	+	0	+	0	+	0
SEC4	+/-	+/-	0	+/-	+/-	0	+/-	+/-	+	+	+	0	+	0
SEC5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	+	+	+	+
SEC6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0
SCE1	+/-	+/-	+/-	+	+/-	+	+/-	+/-	+	+	+	+	+	+/-
SCE2	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	+	0
SCE3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	+	+	+	+	+
SCE4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	+	+	0	+	0
SCE5	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	+	0	+	+	+	0
SCE6	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	+	0	+	+	+	0
SWB1	0	+	0	+	+	+	0	0	+	+	+	+	+	+
SWB2	0	+	0	+	0	+	0	0	+	+	+	+	+	+
STR1	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	++	0	0	+	0	0
STR2	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0
STR3	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0
STR4	0	0	-	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	+	0
STR5	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	++	0	+	+	0	0
STR6	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	++	0	0	0	0	0
STR7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0
STR8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	+	0
STR9	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	+	0	0	0	0	0
STR10	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	+	0	0	0	+	0
SID1	0	0	+	+	+	0	+	+	+	+	+/-	+	+	+
SID2	0	0	0	+	0	0	+	0	+	0	+	0	+	+
SID3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SID4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SWA1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	++	0	0	0	0	0	0
SWA2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	0
SWA3	+/-	+/-	+/-	+/-	+/-	+/-	+/-	++	+/-	0	0	0	0	0
SWA4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	0
SWA5	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	++	0	0	0	0	0	0
SMI1	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0
SMI2	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SCO1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SCO2	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SCO3	0	+	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SDM1	+	+	+	+	+	0	+	0	+	0	+	+	0	0
SDM2	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0
SDM3	0	+	0	+	0	+	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	0
SDM4	0	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
SDM5	+	+	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0
SDM6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	+	0	0
SDM7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0	0	0	0	+	0
SDM8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+/-	0
SDM9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	+	0	0
SDM10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+	0

Site allocations

N98 The SA process has been used to evaluate reasonable alternative sites on a comparable basis against the SA Framework to identify likely sustainability impacts. It is SMBC's role to use the SA findings, alongside other evidence base material, to decide which sites to 'select' for allocation in the SLP and which to 'reject' from further consideration.

N99 The SA findings relating to reasonable alternative sites were fed back to the Council on an iterative basis to assist in decision-making regarding the selection or rejection of each site within the emerging SLP.

N100 A total of 97 sites have been selected. These consist of:

60 sites for housing;
28 sites for employment use;
One site for Gyspy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople use; and
Eight sites for mixed uses.

N101 Appendix H sets out the outline reasons for selection and rejection of all reasonable alternative sites considered throughout the SA process, provided by SMBC.

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