Responding to Local Feedback

Our response: It is clear from feedback that affordable housing is a priority, alongside larger family homes. Bungalows were also cited as being important. We are intending to provide a housing mix which will include at least 30% affordable housing, alongside larger family homes. We are also going to provide bungalows and later living accommodation for older people. Comments we received under the “Other” category included a view that affordable housing should be prioritised for local people. We are happy to work with South Staffordshire District Council to propose Local Occupancy Criteria for social housing, which would give priority to people with local connections.  

Our response: We will be providing 2 full-size football pitches at the sports pavilion, as well as an under-11s/12s 9x9 pitch. A further junior pitch is also being provided at the new school site. In addition, we have amended the proposal to incorporate a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) that can be adapted for use for various sports. Other feedback suggested that investment should be made into existing facilities for sport in Penkridge and this is something we will be exploring with the Parish and District Councils.

Our response: We will be providing a number of Local Equipped Areas of Play across the neighbourhood. This will ensure that there is locally accessible play for residents, rather than one central large play area that may be difficult to access for some. Other feedback suggested that play areas should be accessible for disabled children. Our play areas will be DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliant and include equipment that is accessible to all.

We have also amended the plans to include a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA).

Our response: The overwhelming view is that there are sufficient community spaces in the village that would benefit from investment. Whilst there is potential to include a small community space within the local centre which could be used as community meeting space, we will be exploring the potential for investment into existing facilities in the village for larger scale use.

Our response: There was strong support for the provision of allotments, and we will be delivering these as part of the new neighbourhood. We had initially proposed a single, large area of allotments on the eastern side of the development. However, feedback during consultation suggested that splitting this into two smaller areas would be preferable in terms of both management of the allotments, and also ensuring that those to the west of the neighbourhood had allotment provision nearby. We have responded positively to this feedback by providing two allotment areas in the masterplan for the neighbourhood.

Our response: There was a quite balanced split between a preference for a traditional or contemporary approach to the design of the development. We have taken this into account in informing the design approach for the new neighbourhood, which will have distinct character areas, some with a more traditional design approach, and others more contemporary in nature whilst respecting existing character and materials.

Need for GP provision in Penkridge

This message came through very strongly in the consultation and reflects the national picture where there is an ongoing shortage of GPs. The planning application will be subject to statutory consultation with the local NHS to establish the levels of investment/provision of facilities that Penkridge North should deliver to ensure that local health services can accommodate the new neighbourhood while addressing the needs of existing residents.

A desire for more grocery retail in Penkridge

This was another key theme that emerged in feedback from the community. The vision set out by South Staffordshire District Council in the allocation in the draft Local Plan sets out that local grocery retail should form part of the development and it is our intention to provide this within the Community Hub. 

Concern around the principle of development

A number of respondents were opposed to the principle of development. We would like to reassure the community that this is not a speculative proposal. It is a proposal informed by a draft allocation made by the District Council to ensure that the acute housing need in the local area can be met in the period to 2039. The draft Local Plan has been produced following an extensive, evidence-based process, and our proposals are informed by this. The site at Penkridge North is not in the greenbelt, and offers an opportunity to provide plan-led, sustainable housing growth and community facilities without impacting on greenbelt land.