Draft Regulation 18 Sandwell Local Plan

Ended on the 18 December 2023

(12) 1. Sandwell 2041: Spatial Vision, Priorities and Objectives

What is driving the Vision for Sandwell?

1.1 The Vision reflects what Sandwell will be like in the future if the needs and aspirations of those who live, work in or visit the area are met. It also needs to be flexible, to allow the Council to respond to future challenges in a way that is right for Sandwell, its residents and its businesses.

1.2 The Vision has been written in the context of national, regional and local policy frameworks, including the Council's own Corporate Plan and its own vision. The Sandwell Vision 2030^[25] is as follows:

It's where we call home and where we're proud to belong - where we choose to bring up our families, where we feel safe and cared for, enjoying good health, rewarding work, feeling connected and valued in our neighbourhoods and communities, confident in the future, and benefiting fully from a revitalised West Midlands.

1.3 The Sandwell Vision 2030 also sets out ten ambitions for a successful Sandwell and what success will look like, all of which will have direct or indirect relevance to the aims of the new SLP. These are included in the Vision 2030 document, available to view on the Sandwell Council website, but they are briefly set out below together with an explanation of the role the SLP will play in meeting them.

(2)

Ambition 1

Sandwell is a community where our families have high aspirations and where we pride ourselves on equality of opportunity and on our adaptability and resilience.

SLP relevance:

promoting and supporting sustainable development that helps to meet local need / demand;
providing for sufficient services and facilities in locations accessible to all in Sandwell's communities;
delivering a healthy supply of land for economic growth and employment;
delivering strong policy support to combatting climate change adaptation and mitigation;
protecting and enhancing the natural environment, nature conservation and open spaces;
delivering opportunities for biodiversity net gain, landscaping and tree planting.

Ambition 2

Sandwell is a place where we live healthy lives and live them for longer, and where those of us who are vulnerable feel respected and cared for.

SLP relevance:

protecting, enhancing and making accessible land for sport and leisure including active and passive recreation;
providing clear policy support for development aimed to deliver health and welfare infrastructure.

Ambition 3

Our workforce and young people are skilled and talented, geared up to respond to changing business needs and to win rewarding jobs in a growing economy

SLP relevance:

delivering a healthy supply of land for economic growth and employment.

Ambition 4

Our children benefit from the best start in life and a high-quality education throughout their school careers with outstanding support from their teachers and families.

SLP relevance:

providing land and sites for sufficient services and facilities in locations accessible to all in Sandwell's communities including schools, colleges and opportunities for higher education.

Ambition 5

Our communities are built on mutual respect and taking care of each other, supported by all the agencies that ensure we feel safe and protected in our homes and local neighbourhoods.

SLP relevance:

promoting the development and improvement of attractive, safe and accessible public realm, support services and community infrastructure as part of new development and project delivery.

Ambition 6

We have excellent and affordable public transport that connects us to all local centres and to jobs in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, the airport and the wider West Midlands.

SLP relevance:

delivering a co-ordinated and strategic travel and transport network through Sandwell that links communities to opportunities both within and beyond its boundaries, supported by appropriate planning policies and land use designations.

Ambition 7

We now have many new homes to meet a full range of housing needs in attractive neighbourhoods and close to key transport routes.

SLP relevance:

delivering a healthy supply of land for the delivery of zero and low carbon housing across the borough;
supporting the creation of additional affordable and sustainable communities.

Ambition 8

Our distinctive towns and neighbourhoods are successful centres of community life, leisure and entertainment where people increasingly choose to bring up their families.

SLP relevance:

promoting and supporting sustainable development that helps to meet local need / demand;
providing for sufficient services and facilities in locations accessible to all in Sandwell's communities.

Ambition 9

Sandwell has become a location of choice for industries of the future where the local economy and high performing companies continue to grow.

SLP relevance:

delivering a healthy supply of land for economic growth and employment;
supporting the delivery of sufficient high-quality physical / digital infrastructure;
delivering a co-ordinated and strategic travel and transport network through Sandwell;
providing land and sites for sufficient educational services and facilities in locations accessible to all.

Ambition 10

Sandwell now has a national reputation for getting things done, where all local partners are focused on what really matters in people's lives and communities.

SLP relevance:

being an up-to-date local plan backed by sound evidence and robust policies that enable planning permissions to be granted swiftly and in close co-operation with applicants, developers and local communities.

(3) Vision for Sandwell

1.4 The Sandwell Local Plan Vision is set out below:

Sandwell Local Plan Vision 2041

In 2041, Sandwell is a thriving, growing and active borough, leading the urban renaissance of the West Midlands conurbation. It is a place with a united and resilient community, a place of innovation and industry and a place with a vibrant and strong cultural heritage.

Sandwell is at the forefront of tackling climate change, in its role as a hub for climate adaptation and mitigation technologies and industries. Its new buildings are clean and green in their design, materials and operations, its old buildings are carefully adapted to deliver low and zero carbon outputs. It sets the standard in both public and private sectors for embedding climate change awareness and sensitivity in all its actions, outcomes and decisions.

Notwithstanding its urban character, Sandwell's residents enjoy access to country and town parks, open spaces, green networks, natural corridors and pocket parks. They benefit from additional landscaping schemes and increased tree cover during their everyday activities and leisure time. Sandwell's natural environment is valued for its own sake as well as for its role in creating a healthy, attractive and climate change-resistant background for people living, working, learning in and enjoying the borough.

Sandwell's historic environment is a source of pride for its communities and continues to reflect its industrial and architectural heritage, in restoration and renovation schemes and in the sensitive design of new buildings. Historic buildings in Sandwell are reused, repurposed and retrofitted to enable their retention and occupation for years to come.

Sandwell continues to deliver sustained and sustainable economic growth and investment opportunities from its highly accessible location at the heart of the country. It provides high-quality goods and services from its powerful industrial base and levels of employment, wages and economic activity are high and rising.

As part of this forward-looking economic activity, Sandwell has also continued to support investment in critical waste, energy and transport infrastructure that has resulted in a robust circular economy, where not only does less waste end up in landfill, but less waste is produced overall in Sandwell, more recycling takes place and cutting-edge waste-to-energy operations provide the fuel for local heating networks.

Sandwell's residents enjoy longer and healthier lives than in previous decades, thanks to the increase in accessible open spaces, the provision of services and facilities designed to promote active recreation and leisure, the improvement of and increased accessibility to healthcare infrastructure and the promotion of healthy lifestyle choices. They have access to well-performing schools, higher and further education provision at all levels and to continued opportunities for skills development and training.

There is a wide range of housing available to Sandwell residents, aiming to help meet housing needs, designed to support green living and suitable for adaptation to benefit all sections of the community. Affordable, social and local authority-provided homes are available to those who need them. New developments are located within attractively landscaped areas, with access to district and low-cost energy and heating projects, sustainable drainage designed to improve the local environment as well as provide reliable protection against flooding and run-off and all necessary services and facilities within walking and cycling distance or a short bus ride away.

Sandwell's town centres thrive by day and by night, with an expanded range of retail, leisure and socialising opportunities as well as acting as the foci for new residential developments, community activities and social enterprises. They are safe, welcoming and accessible locations during both day and night, designed to encourage positive public interactions and minimise antisocial behaviour.

(1) Priorities and Objectives

1.5 To assist in the delivery of the Vision, a set of priorities have been identified, which form the basis of individual policies contained in the SLP. These priorities directly address the key strategic challenges and opportunities that have arisen since the Core Strategy was adopted in 2011 and the SAD was produced.

1.6 The Vision will be delivered by the achievement of the strategic objectives identified in Table 3.

(4) Table 3 – Priorities, Strategic Objectives and Policies

Priority	Strategic Objective	Policy
Climate Change	Objective 1: Ensure new development takes a proactive approach to climate change mitigation, adaptation and carbon reduction, and that development is resilient to climate change	Policy SDS1, Policy SDS4, Policy SDS6, Policy SDS7 Policy SNE1 - Policy SNE3 Policy SCC1 - Policy SCC6 Policy SHW3 – SHW6 Policy STR5, Policy STR6, Policy STR9, Policy STR10 Policy SDM1, Policy SDM2
Climate Change	Objective 2: Deliver sustainable development in locations where people can access jobs and services, delivering wider positive social and economic outcomes and protecting and enhancing local built and natural environments	Policy SDS1 - Policy SDS7 Policy SCC1 - Policy SCC6 Policy SHO1, Policy SHO3 Policy SEC1 – Policy SEC6 Policy SCE1 Policy STR1 – STR10 Policy SDM1 - Policy SDM10
Enhancing our natural environment	Objective 3: To protect and enhance Sandwell's natural environment, natural resources, biodiversity, wildlife corridors geological resources, countryside and landscapes, whilst ensuring that residents have good access to interlinked green infrastructure	Policy SDS6, Policy SDS7 Policy SNE1 - Policy SNE6 Policy SHW4 - Policy SHW6 Policy SHO1
Enhancing our historic environment	Objective 4: To protect, sustain and enhance the quality of the historic built environment, ensuring the retention of distinctive and attractive places and beautiful buildings, including listed parks, scheduled monuments and their settings.	Policy SDS4, Policy SDS5 Policy SHE1 - Policy SHE4 Policy SCC1 Policy SHW4
Enhancing our historic environment	Objective 5: To manage and maintain the wider historic environment across Sandwell, including parks and gardens, areas of industrial heritage value, sites of geological and archaeological interest and locally listed buildings, structures and historic assets.	Policy SDS4, Policy SDS5 Policy SNE6 Policy SHE1 - Policy SHE4 Policy SHW4 Policy SDM1, Policy SDM2
Housing that meets all our needs	Objective 6: Address Sandwell's identified and wide-ranging housing needs by supporting the provision of high-quality new homes, to include a wide mix of housing type and tenure, that: are capable of being adapted to meet the future needs of occupiers; provide sufficient internal and external space; and promote and support climate change adaptation and mitigation through good design and in the materials and techniques used in their construction.	Policy SDS1 - Policy SDS4 Policy SNE1 - Policy SNE3 Policy SCC1 - Policy SCC6 Policy SHO1 - Policy SHO10 Policy SDM1, Policy SDM2
Housing that meets all our needs	Objective 7: Ensure communities in Sandwell are safe and resilient and social cohesion is promoted and enhanced	Policy SDS4, Policy SDS5 Policy SHW2 Policy SHO4, Policy SHO5, Policy SHO7, Policy SHO8
Enabling a strong, stable and inclusive economy	Objective 8: Support regeneration, business investment and job creation to maintain and grow a prosperous and resilient local and regional economy in ways that consider environmental and climate change factors	Policy SDS1, Policy SDS2, Policy SDS7 Policy SCC1 - Policy SCC6 Policy SEC1 - Policy SEC6 Policy STR4, Policy STR5, Policy STR6, Policy STR10 Policy SID1 - Policy SID3
Enabling a strong, stable and inclusive economy	Objective 9: to enable communities to share the benefits of economic growth through securing access to new job opportunities and enhanced skills and training programmes.	Policy SDS1 Policy SHO9 Policy SEC5 Policy STR1, Policy STR5
Improving the Health and Wellbeing of residents and promoting social inclusion	Objective 10: To provide a built and natural environment that supports the making of healthier choices through provision for physical activity and recreation, active travel, encouraging social interaction and discouraging harmful behaviours.	Policy SDS6, Policy SDS7 Policy SNE6 Policy SHW1 - Policy SHW6 Policy STR5 Policy SDM6 – Policy SDM9
	Objective 11: Ensure new development and open spaces support health and wellbeing for all, reduce health inequalities and encourage active and healthy lifestyles	Policy SNE3, Policy SNE6 Policy SCC3 Policy SDS4, Policy SDS5 Policy SHW3 - Policy SHW6 Policy STR5
	Objective 12: To provide a built and natural environment that protects health and wellbeing through minimising pollution (air, noise and other forms), providing healthy homes, reducing the negative health effects of climate change and providing streets safe for active, low emission travel for all.	Policy SDS1 - Policy SDS4, Policy SDS6 - Policy SDS7 Policy SNE1 - Policy SNE6 Policy SCC1 - Policy SCC6 Policy SHW3 Policy SHO5
Good Design	Objective 13: Require new development to deliver a high standard of design reflecting local character and distinctiveness and that creates greener and safer places that people feel proud to live and work in.	Policy SDS4 Policy SCC1 - Policy SCC6 Policy SDM1
Brownfield First	Objective 14: Encourage the effective and prudent use of previously developed land, including the efficient use of land and buildings and the use of sustainable and climate-aware construction techniques within new developments, as well as providing for waste management and disposal	Policy SDS1 - Policy SDS4 Policy SCC1 - Policy SCC6 Policy SWA1 - Policy SWA5 Policy SCO1 - Policy SCO3
Enhancing the vitality of our centres	Objective 15: Support Sandwell's towns and local centres as places for economic, residential and cultural activity with good access to services, in ways that protect their heritage, character and identity	Policy SDS4, Policy SDS5 Policy SHE1 - Policy SHE3 Policy SCE1 - Policy SCE7 Town Centre Profiles Policy STR8 Policy SID1 - Policy SID3 Policy SDM1 - Policy SDM10
Promoting sustainable transport and active travel	Objective 16: To prioritise sustainable and active travel and seek to improve transport infrastructure to ensure efficient and sustainable accessibility within an integrated network	Policy SDS3 Policy SNE6 Policy STR1 - Policy STR10
Meeting our resource and infrastructure needs	Objective 17: To manage waste as a resource and minimise the amount produced and sent to landfill, including ensuring that the reliance on primary minerals during construction and development are kept to a minimum and that greater use is made of recycled or alternative building materials	Policy SWA1 - Policy SWA5
Meeting our resource and infrastructure needs	Objective 18: Ensure development is supported by essential infrastructure and services and promotes safe movement and more sustainable modes of travel through promoting greener travel networks for walking, cycling and public transport	Policy SDS3, Policy SDS4 Policy SNE6 Policy STR5, Policy STR6 Policy SID1 - Policy SID3 Policy SDM10

(1) Ensuring delivery of the Vision, priorities and strategic objectives

1.7 Primarily, the Vision, objectives and priorities set out above will be delivered via the application of the policies of this Plan. The monitoring section at the end of the plan identifies targets for key indicators that will need to be achieved if these policies are to be successful.

^[25] https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/Vision2030

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