SLP KDBH Extracts - Flipbook - Page 38
economic and social benefits associated with growth around the transport hub, contrary to
Government policy.
92.
The prospectus for a Garden City Approach (2014) envisaged a well-planned and vibrant
new place. Development was to be guided by strong urban design principles and provision
for strong connectivity.
93.
A Masterplan for the Arden Cross area has been produced (2020), which demonstrates that
by utilising multi-storey car parking, the site can make a significant contribution to economic
growth. The vision features a number of urban quarters, comprising a residential community
with up to 3,000 new homes, an innovation district for employment and higher education, a
transportation hub plaza incorporating leisure, retail and cultural attractions with office
accommodation, together with a key movement corridor, a parkland area based on the
Holywell Brook, based on sustainable transport principles. Providing decked car parking
(rather than extensive surface level parking) to serve HS2 (and other uses) is key to this
vision and will ensure efficient use of land which is being removed from the Green Belt.
94.
The Arden Cross proposals require land to be taken from the Green Belt. The exceptional
circumstances to justify this approach are as follows:
The proposals are vitally important to the aim of maximising the economic growth and
job creation potential of the Hub Area that is of national significance and will meet the
NPPF aim to proactively promote economic growth;
The need to capitalise on the arrival of the High Speed 2 rail link by maximising the
substantial national infrastructure investment at this location;
Stimulus to local, regional and national growth to assist with rebalancing the UK
economy, accommodating growth for the wider Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP
area and the wider West Midlands;
Significant socio-economic advantages, including additional housing to meet local
and wider housing needs, the generation of high skilled jobs, increased GVA output
and the agglomeration affect at the key economic assets that make up the Hub area;
Improved access to employment from North Solihull, an area of persistently high
unemployment;
The multiple locational advantages of the area with its unrivalled transport facilities
make this one of the most sustainable locations for growth in the Borough;
The land is lower performing in the Solihull Strategic Green Belt Assessment (2016);
The importance of maximising the efficient use of the Arden Cross land that would
not have been possible if the land were not removed from the Green Belt and the
base case parkway station developed instead21;
The proposals are site specific in that they rely on the development of HS2 and its
interchange station that will be built in the Green Belt and will address the needs of
key economic assets that are of crucial significance to the local and regional
economy;
There are no similar opportunities for growth on this scale outside the Green Belt;
and
21
The parkway station is the design in the HS2 Bill, but through a change control process, an alternative design for the
rail and station infrastructure is being pursued that would allow the wider, none rail related, development to be
accommodated in line with the visions and strategies set out.
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