Issue - meetings

The Head of Planning and Environment Services reported the receipt of comments from the Environment Agency, the Housing Standards Officer, the Strategic Planning Manager and Alvechurch Parish Council, together with the receipt of additional correspondence from the applicant's Agent.  He also stated that an additional letter had been received in relation to wildlife issues, as detailed under the Ecological and Biodiversity Issues section of the report.

Consideration was given to this application which had been recommended for refusal by the Director of Planning Services.

On the matter being put to the vote it was decided that permission be granted because Members considered that the need and requirement for affordable housing in Hopwood constituted very special circumstances which outweighed the harm that would be caused to the openness of the Green Belt and the purposes of including land within the Green Belt, and other harm.

RESOLVED:

(a)       that permission be granted subject to appropriate conditions and notes which are considered necessary by the Head of Planning and Environment Services and the applicant entering into a suitable legal mechanism in relation to monetary contributions in respect of highway improvement works; and

(b)       that the application be referred to the Government Office for the West Midlands under the "departure" procedure.