Up to 110 homes at Land West Of Rumbush Lane, Solihull

What was proposed

Outline permission was sought for up to 110 homes, sports facilities, access works, footways, landscaping, drainage, open space and infrastructure.

“Proposal: Outline planning permission is sought for the erection of up to 110 dwellings, provision of a sports pitch, the creation of associated vehicular and pedestrian accesses onto Rumbush Lane, pedestrian footway to Dewberry Road, highway improvements, parking, landscaping, drainage features, open space, and associated infrastructure (All matters reserved except for access into the site from Rumbush Lane (southern access only) and Dewberry Road).”

Officer report

The site

The site covers about 6.75 hectares of three agricultural fields, bounded by roads, homes, open space, woodland and a football club.

“The Site is relatively flat, measures circa 6.75ha, and contains three separate fields in agricultural use. The only features within the site are hedgerows and trees. The Site is bound to the north/northwest by Leafield Athletic Football Club and woodland, to the east by Rumbush Lane, to the south by residential development off Norton Lane, and to the west by public open space associated with Tidbury Heights.”

“The Site is within National Character Area 97: ‘Arden’, consisting of well-wooded farmland with rolling landform and diverse field patterns. On a local level the Site is within the landscape character area LCA 2: Southern Countryside, in the Council’s Landscape Character Assessment (LCA).”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval because the site was considered Grey Belt, the housing need was substantial, infrastructure contributions were secured and the planning balance favoured development.

“The National Planning Policy Framework (‘the Framework’) has introduced new exceptions to types of development that are to be regarded as ‘not inappropriate’ development in the Green Belt. One such exception relates to the development of homes which utilise ‘Grey Belt’ and meet the ‘Golden Rules’ which require an uplift of affordable housing provision (50% rather than 40% in this case) along with improvements to infrastructure and green spaces.”

“The proposed development will deliver much needed market and affordable homes within a Borough with a substantial and persistent shortfall in housing land supply. The Framework outlines that medium sized sites can make an important contribution to meeting the housing requirement of an area and are often built out quickly.”

Officer report

Main planning concerns

The proposal would permanently lose greenfield land and cause landscape harm, but officers considered the remaining effects acceptable with mitigation and conditions.

“The development of the site as proposed would result in the substantive and permanent loss of the greenfield land and this clearly results in a moderate adverse landscape effect to the site itself. Nonetheless, once the mitigating planting has become established and acknowledging the contained nature of the site, the residual landscape harm to the wider area is moderate only. As such the proposal would conflict with policy P10, P14 and P15 of the Local Plan.”

“In conclusion, for the reasons outlined in this Report, the overall planning balance is in favour for the proposed development, and the proposal would therefore benefit from the presumption in favour of sustainable development.”

Officer report

Consultation responses

Parish councils objected on Green Belt, sustainability, highways, landscape, flooding, ecology, services and cumulative impact grounds, while most technical consultees raised no objection subject to safeguards.

“Tidbury Green Parish Council – objection on the grounds of Green Belt harm, unsustainable location, landscape & visual harm, highway safety, biodiversity loss, cumulative impacts, and impact on local services.”

“Dickens Heath Parish Council - Objection on the grounds of Green Belt and local character, highway & traffic impact, flood risk & drainage, pressure on local services, environmental & landscape impact, cumulative and strategic impact and sustainability and accessibility.”

Officer report

Who spoke

Representatives of Tidbury Green Parish Council and a ward councillor spoke against the application, while two speakers supported it.

The committee’s decision

The committee granted conditional approval in line with the officer recommendation, subject to completion of a Section 106 agreement.

“PL/2025/01502/PPOL LAND WEST OF RUMBUSH LANE Conditional approval, as per the officer recommendation, together with the completion of a section 106 Agreement.”

Minutes