SLP KDBH Extracts - Flipbook - Page 123
Promoting Quality of Place
Introduction
388.
The Borough’s high quality natural, built and historic environment is fundamental to its
success as an attractive place to live, work, visit and invest. The policies contained in this
section are critical to retaining the quality of Solihull’s distinctive places. Together with the
other policies in the Plan, particularly, in the chapters dealing with Protecting and Enhancing
our Environment, and Supporting Local Communities, the application of Policies in this
section, will ensure Solihull remains an attractive, ambitious, locally distinctive and
prosperous Borough.
389.
High quality design is fundamental to making places more attractive, sustainable, safe,
healthy and accessible. Good design can help reduce and mitigate the impacts of climate
change; promote healthier lifestyles; create safer places and make high quality and attractive
places that foster civic pride.
390.
NPPF states that local planning authorities should set out in their Local Plan a positive
strategy for the conservation and enjoyment of the historic environment, including heritage
assets most at risk. Heritage assets include buildings, monuments, sites, places, areas or
landscapes identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning
decisions, because of their heritage interest. These assets are an irreplaceable resource,
and should be conserved in a manner appropriate to their significance.
391.
Most of the undeveloped area of the Borough is designated as Green Belt, where national
policy provides a presumption against development that is inappropriate. The Borough’s
Green Belt includes the strategically important open land between the urban areas of
Birmingham and Solihull and the city of Coventry, known as the Meriden Gap, and key gaps
between urban areas and rural settlements. Protecting the Green Belt in Solihull will
contribute to the purposes set out in national policy. It is also vital for maintaining the
attractive rural setting and environment that helps to bring investment and people to the
Borough. Management of the countryside is largely dependent on agricultural businesses,
which face significant pressures on incomes and changing demands for products.
392.
The Green Belt in Solihull has been under constant pressure since it was first proposed in
1960. Successive development plans for Solihull have removed land from the Green Belt to
meet housing and other needs. Developments of national and regional significance have
also been allowed, justified by very special circumstances. This plan recognises that the
scale of the growth faced by the Borough and the lack of significant developme nt
opportunities outside the Green Belt mean that some substantial adjustments to the Green
Belt are required to meet development needs, including those required in the UK Central
Hub Area to provide an appropriate planning framework for the Council’s ambitions for the
HS2 Interchange and adjoining area.
Policy P15 Securing Design Quality
1.
All development proposals must be of a high quality design. Proposals will be
expected to contribute to, or create, high quality places and spaces which have
regard to local distinctiveness and achieve inclusive and sustainable design.
2.
In delivering high quality design, development proposals will be expected to:
i.
Conserve and contribute positively to local character, distinctiveness and
streetscape quality and ensure that the scale, massing, density, layout,
territory (including space between buildings), materials and landscape of the
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