North Redditch Communities Alliance

20/01/2025

A public inquiry is set to be held at the Woodrow Centre next week over plans to build 214 new homes on part of a golf course in Redditch.

12/01/2025

23/11/2024

The council's complete U-turn has now being called out on the front page of the Redditch Standard through Birgit’s effort.
https://redditchstandard.co.uk/news/campaign-group-outraged-by-redditch-borough-councils-decision-not-to-fight-controversial-planning-appeal/

Also please note the latest message and updated deadline from Denis Miles, APRA Acting Chair and Treasurer and NoRCA Steering Group Member:

"Firstly a big thank you on behalf of North Redditch Communities Alliance (NoRCA) for your reaction to the request for funds in order to oppose the Appeal by David Wilson Homes against the unanimous decision of the Redditch Planning Committee in March to refuse its application to build 214 homes on the Golf Course and associated land."

"By the donations deadline of 19th November the total donation offers was very good and from a large proportion of the HGL home owners. Since then additional donation offers have come in plus promises from others that their offers would be coming soon. Consequently it has been agreed to extend the donation offers deadline to Saturday 30th November."

"Just a reminder that only myself as Treasurer and my wife Chris as bookkeeper will know who has offered what amount".

Donation amounts should be emailed to:
NorcaAppeal24@gmail com
Subject: Donation to NoRCA Appeal (House Number)
Content
Name:
House No:
Donation Amount: £ (Do Not Send Donations Until Requested Please)

The appeal will be adjudicated upon by the Planning Inspectorate at a Public Inquiry scheduled to start on January 21 next year.

22/03/2024

We hope by now you will know the outcome of the Planning Committee meeting at the Town Hall on Wednesday, attended and supported by so many of you – for which, sincere thanks; your presence and the active engagement by the community has been critical in emphasising the strength of opposition to the application.

The Planning Committee unanimously refused the application on the grounds that the land and proposed development is not in the Borough Plan, that Redditch has more than 10 years land supply for house building and that the design and density of the proposed houses are totally out of line with nearby properties.

Our thanks to our local MP, the several Councillors from across the political spectrum and former Councillor who spoke or wrote opposing the application. Their words added weight to the compelling case NoRCA had produced.

However, it is possible the applicant will seek to appeal the decision or may resubmit a revised application. NoRCA will remain vigilant and will be prepared to rebut any further challenges.. The first battle has been won – but there may be more work to do ahead.

Thank you for your continued support.

NoRCA Team

21/03/2024

Thank you all for your support in this 🙌🏻

The application to build more than 200 houses on land on and around Abbey Park Golf Club was submitted to the council by David Wilson homes.

14/03/2024

Redditch Borough Council’s Strategic Planning has given the following assessment of the application:

🔸The proposed development would sever the green corridor linking the north of Arrow Valley Country Park to the open countryside

🔸The proposal would not comply with Policies 11.3 and 43.3 of the BORLP4 as it does not contribute positively to the Borough’s and the Arrow Valley Country Park’s Green Infrastructure network.

🔸Abbey Ward has a deficiency in open space, including a deficiency in Outdoor Sports provision compared to the Borough standards. Despite the current provision being privately accessed, the need for the development needs to be assessed under policy 13.2 to demonstrate how it outweighs the value of retaining the open space.

🔸Redditch has a 9.83 years housing land supply, therefore in line with 13.6 of the BORLP4 the development does not outweigh the value of retaining the open space.

For the reasons outlined above, Strategic Planning do not support this application.

Redditch Standard
Redditch Advertiser
ITV News

09/03/2024

APRA URGENT: David Wilson Homes Application at Planning Committee Meeting Wed March 20th 7pm

On behalf of Denis Miles, Acting APRA Chair and NoRCA Committee Member:

By now many of you who objected will have received an invite to attend the Planning Committee Meeting on Wednesday 20th 7pm at the Town Hall.

We want each of you in each household to attend if possible. Please email [email protected] to let us know of your intentions so we have an idea of numbers.
Actual physical attendance is important for us to fight this application. We need to show our strong objection to this application.

We have a planner Charles Robinson to talk on our behalf and councillors from different parties so we hope you will not apply to talk as the more time we talk the more time David Wilson Homes gets to put their case.

We will distributing a leaflet and sending other emails with information soon.

19/12/2023

On behalf of Denis Miles
APRA Acting Chair and Treasurer
NoRCA Member

David Wilson Homes update

Against all expectations the DWH planning application for over 200 houses on the Golf Course was not listed at any of the Planning Committee meetings this autumn. Thus we await the New Year ones on 15th January, 5th February and 4th March 2024 - dates for your diaries. As soon as the application is listed we will immediately issue a 'call to arms' to HGL residents with the aim of maximising attendance at the meeting.

It is now two years since the initial plans were submitted to Redditch Borough Council. NoRCA's (our) Planning Consultant advises that, although irksome for residents to be held in limbo for such an inordinate length of time, this is by no means uncommon. Builders will always wait until they believe the time is right, in their interests and not ours, to go to the Planning Committee for the application to be determined.

Just remember that, when you are told that the application is going to the Planning Committee, please do not ask to speak at it and leave it to our Professional Planning Consultant. This is because he knows the detailed National Planning Guidelines and it is only on those regulations that the case will be decided and upon which we have a battery of arguments in our favour. Every other person who speaks for rejection of the DWH application will either repeat elements of what our Consultant will have said and / or add emotional arguments which are not allowed such as loss of view or privacy. This will then lead to matching extra time being given to DWH to respond.

Best wishes for 2024

01/06/2023

NoRCA has arranged for an extension to the deadline for submitting further responses to the recently updated David Wilson Homes application documents. We know that many of you will have already done so – many thanks. We need as many individual objections as possible.

The revised date is now Monday 12th June 2023. The reason for this extension is that a key document on traffic and transport was inaccessible on the Council’s Planning Portal which has now been rectified. Our specialist Transport Consultant can now review the document in detail and comment accordingly.

If any individual within your household has yet to submit their objection please do so by the new deadline. You can put your objection on Redditch and Bromsgrove Planning Portal or email Paul Lester ([email protected], please copy [email protected] - to ensure a record of your e-mail.) Please use the reference 21/01830/FUL in your subject title and give your name and address in the email.

From Mark Jacobs and Denis Miles
(on behalf of NoRCA) (Acting APRA Chair)

24/05/2023

Deadline for submitting objections is this Friday, please help to ensure we have as many objections to the revised plan as possible.

Reference 21/01830/FUL

You can view and comment on planning applications and related documents here

06/05/2023

The council planning website has an updated application for the David Wilson homes on the Golf Course which claims to have addressed concerns but includes minimal material change.

Attached is some information from the North Redditch Communities Alliance (NoRCA).

It is vital for the campaign to have your objections or reiteration of your previous objections lodged by 26th May latest. They need to be in your own words and indicate your strong objection.

Please submit your comments via the Council’s website using the online public comments facility
at https://publicaccess.bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk/online-applications/login.jsp
The planning reference is 21/01830/FUL