LAND AT HILL TOP FARM, WEBHEATH

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Welcome to our plans for Land at Hill Top Farm, Webheath.

Bloor Homes is excited to bring forward plans for up to 195 dwellings at the site and is keen to hear your views to help shape the emerging scheme.

INTRODUCTION

Bloor Homes is a Midlands-based family run housebuilder. We are strongly committed to creating homes our customers are proud to own. Earlier this year, the Home Builders Federation recognised us as a five star housebuilder for the sixth year running. That means at least 90% of people who buy a Bloor home would recommend us to friends and family.

We are excited to bring forward plans for up to 195 dwellings on land at Hill Top Farm. The site provides an opportunity to deliver much needed homes for Redditch at Webheath.

The land has long been identified as a suitable location for development. The current Redditch Local Plan includes the site within the Webheath Strategic Site, as ideally located to provide 400-600 new homes for the town.

Parts of the Strategic Site have already been delivered. Bloor Homes is now drawing up comprehensive proposals for further land within the allocation and is keen to engage with the local community inform the proposals.

The site is part owned by the Borough Council, but most is privately owned. The development is being planned in a comprehensive way, taking into account opportunities and constraints across the whole of the site.

The intention is to secure outline planning permission across two outline planning applications. This website sets out more information on the emerging plans and how you can get involved.

OUR VISION

The Vision for the site is to create a high quality residential scheme, set within attractive areas of public open space with strong connections to the local area.

This includes the existing urban area to the east as well as the new homes delivered as part of the Strategic Site to the north of the site.

The emerging scheme is being informed by surveys of the site and the local area. The Council’s Local Plan also sets out a range of development principles.

The technical work so far suggests approximately 195 dwellings can be delivered at the site. This will be a mix of family homes, with a range of housing types and sizes included.

An important principle is that existing site features such as trees and hedgerows will be retained where possible, to help create the character of the development.

The following sections provide more detail on the emerging plans and an opportunity for you to have your say.

SITE DETAILS

The site is shown edged in red on the Site Location Plan. It is approximately 8.8ha and well related to the west of the Webheath built up area.

The site has three main areas: (1) the area formerly occupied by Upper Norgrove House and its garden adjacent to Hill Top and Church Road; (2) farmland to the west of this land; and (3) the extent of No.18 Crumpfields Lane.

Redditch Borough Council owns the land previously occupied by Upper Norgrove House. The demolition of the property has left a hard surfaced area whilst the former garden and wooded areas are now overgrown.

The farmland between the residential properties on Morville Street to the north and Crumpfields Lane to the south is the largest part of the site. It includes the old farm buildings currently accessed from Hill Top.

No. 18 Crumpfields Lane comprises a single residential dwelling. This property would be demolished to create a pedestrian, cycle and emergency access from Crumpfields Lane.

The topography of the site and surrounding area falls from north to south. The emerging proposals aim to work with existing levels, to minimise the remodelling works needed to deliver the new homes.

Further information on the design work to date can be found on the Concept Plan.

CONCEPT PLAN

The proposal is to deliver a new community of up to 195 homes at the site.

As part of this consultation, we are seeking your views on the draft Concept Plan to further refine the key elements of the emerging scheme. As we are at the outline planning stage, there are no detailed layout plans to share just yet. The final version of the Concept Plan will inform the detailed design work later on.

The scheme will include a mix of family homes including 2, 3 and 4 bed with some 5 bed properties. This will add variety to the development and respond to local needs, to offer a range of affordable and market opportunities for all ages.

As much of the existing trees, hedgerows and other landscape features will be retained as possible, whilst ensuring the land is used efficiently to deliver new homes. Most of the wooded area close to Church Road will be retained, creating an attractive gateway. An important principle is that existing site features such as trees and hedgerows will be retained where possible, to help create the character of the development and biodiversity value of the site.

Vehicular access will be via a new junction on Church Road. This will link to a new estate road serving the new housing areas within the site. Including No. 18 Crumpfields Lane in the development enables a pedestrian, cycle and emergency access to be created at the southern boundary.

Bloor Homes is looking at ways to encourage sustainable travel to and from the site. This includes enhanced connectivity so that people can access essential services by walking and cycling. Options will be discussed with the Borough Council and Local Highway Authority.

The new homes would be set within areas of attractive public open space, which would include areas of play and recreation to promote health and well-being. The existing public right of way along Hill Top is an important local connection and will be retained on its current alignment, linking with existing footpaths in Webheath and the wider footpath network.

The areas of public open space will also include sustainable drainage features. Planting will be carried out to enhance retained landscape features, adding to the character of the development and improving the biodiversity value of existing habitats. The intention is to meet the new requirement for 10% biodiversity net gain on the site.

All new dwellings will be constructed to high design and sustainability standards. The new homes will be equipped with electric vehicle charging points, making a potential switch to cleaner transport easier for future residents.

Bloor Homes will contribute to healthcare, education and other local infrastructure as appropriate, following discussions with the Council on identified needs.

TECHNICAL APPROACH

The intention is to seek outline planning permission to confirm the principle of development and key themes for the detailed design.

Outline planning permission will be sought across two planning applications to the Council, reflecting the two land ownerships. However, Bloor is committed to planning the proposed development in a comprehensive, site-wide way.

The design work to date has been informed by the various technical surveys and discussions relating to site access, drainage proposals, the ecology needs of the site and biodiversity net gain. This section summarises the current position.

TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

  • The proposals seek to deliver a walkable community and to promote walking and cycling as an attractive alternative to the car.
  • The vehicular access into the site will be via a new priority junction from Church Road which include provisions for pedestrian and cyclists and links to existing connections in Webheath.
  • The access proposals will also include for a pedestrian crossing over Church Road between the site and the mini roundabout to the east of the new site access.
    The public right of way passing through the site will be retained linking to the new homes to the north and countryside to the west.
  • Traffic counts are being carried out to establish current traffic levels close to the site and to the impact of the proposed development, including any junctions that may need to be improved.
  • A Transport Assessment will be submitted as part of the outline planning applications and will be assessed by Worcestershire County Council as the Local Highway Authority.

GREEN SPACES AND WILDLIFE

  • The new homes will be set within areas of attractive public open space, which will complement the green space beyond the site boundaries.
  • Indicative landscape proposals are being drawn up with the aim of securing improvements for retained landscape features and habitats.
  • These are being informed by a comprehensive suite of ecology surveys with an aim to achieve 10% biodiversity net gain across the site and to meet the needs of protected species as appropriate.
  • The proposals will include opportunities for play and recreation to support health and well-being. The exact requirements are being discussed with the Council.
  • The proposals will include attractive walking routes through the development.

TREES

  • A Tree Survey has established that most trees present at the site are either Category C or Category U trees, which do not represent a particular constraint to development.
  • Some trees in the wooded area in the eastern part of the site will need to be removed to provide access and the emerging Concept Plan is based on retaining as many other trees as possible.
  • There is a Tree Preservation Order affecting some trees within the site. However, the Order dates from 1992 and the recent surveys show the trees are no longer of significant quality.
  • Additional planting will compensate for the small number of trees that need to be removed to facilitate the development of the site.
  • An Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Tree Retention Plan in accordance with British Standard 5837:2012 ‘Trees in Relation to Design, Demolition and Construction – Recommendations’ will be submitted with the planning applications.

FLOOD RISK AND DRAINAGE

  • The entire site is located within Flood Zone 1, where the risk of fluvial flooding is categorised as ‘low’.
  • Drainage proposals are being developed as part of the comprehensive design approach to ensure surface water is managed and the scheme does not increase the risk of flooding elsewhere.
  • The Concept Plan shows indicative areas for attenuation basins within the areas of public open space as part of a sustainable drainage system to manage surface water. These also provide an opportunity for habitat creation.
  • The size and location of the attenuation ponds will be confirmed in due course, to ensure runoff from the site does not exceed the existing green field rates. The drainage strategy works with the existing topography but a pumping station is likely to be required.
  • A Flood Risk Assessment and a Drainage Strategy will be submitted with the planning applications.

NEXT STEPS

Bloor Homes is excited to bring forward proposals for the development of land within the Webheath Strategic Area.

We are keen to engage with the local community and to get feedback on the emerging plans. This will help to finalise them for the outline planning applications. The feedback form provides an opportunity to leave your comments.

Or you can speak to a member of the team on 01789 339 964.
Or by emailing [email protected]

We want to know what you think, so this an opportunity to have your say.

Redditch Borough Council will provide further opportunities to comment on the outline planning applications once they have been submitted.
All comments should be received by 30th September 2024 to ensure they can be taken into account before the planning applications are submitted.

FEEDBACK