Issue - meetings

Consideration was given to a report on the findings of the second stage “Study into the Future Growth Implications of Redditch”.

Members were reminded that Worcestershire County Council, Bromsgrove District Council, Redditch Borough Council and Stratford District Council had originally commissioned consultants to undertake a “Joint Study into the Future Growth of Redditch Town to 2026” to support the preparation of the RSS. This study had been completed in December 2007.

It had subsequently been agreed by the Authorities involved that the Joint Study was insufficiently detailed to allow district level splits of Redditch Borough related housing growth to be identified. The same consultants had therefore been commissioned by the Authorities concerned and the West Midlands Regional Assembly to undertake the additional work required in order to augment the broad findings of the study.

The stage 2 study had been completed on 10th October 2008 and the general findings were set out in section 3.9 of the report. During the discussion on this item the Chairman referred to an invitation to the Working Party Members to attend a meeting of Redditch Borough Council’s Planning Policy Advisory Group on 10th November 2008. This would enable an informal discussion to take place in relation to the issues contained in the study. It was also felt it would be helpful for Bromsgrove members to have the opportunity, prior to that meeting, to visit the sites close to the boundary of Redditch and Bromsgrove identified in the study as possible housing development sites.

It was reported that the study, together with the feedback from public consultation would be inform the responses to the West Midlands RSS and the NLP study referred to in the previous item.

RESOLVED  that the conclusions of the study and the implications for Bromsgrove be noted at this stage.