Land off Stratford Road
Hockley Heath
The Site
The site totals approximately 0.79 ha and is located adjacent to Stratford Road (A3400) to the west and the Four Roads House to the north. To the east is agricultural land, and to the south of the site is a small parcel of trees, followed by residential properties. The site is located directly to the northeast of Hockley Heath, which is identified as a village by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.
Bus stops on Stratford Road provide connections to key regional destinations including Birmingham, Stratford upon Avon and Solihull. The settlement benefits from a range of key local amenities and facilities, including the Hockley Heath village centre convenience store, a Post Office, Dental Surgery and Primary School. The site location is shown in red below.
Site Location Plan
Click image to enlarge
Planning Policy
It is recognised that the site is currently designated as Green Belt in the adopted – but out-of-date – Development Plan. However, the Government is clear on the critical need to boost the supply of homes nationally and has recently revised the National Planning Policy Framework (2024) to increase the need for housing in Solihull and include provisions for where development is acceptable in the Green Belt.
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In particular, the revised NPPF introduced ‘Grey Belt’, which is land within the Green Belt considered to not strongly contribute towards three of the purposes of the Green Belt, in areas sustainably located and where there is a demonstrable need for housing.
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In light of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s Local Plan Review being withdrawn from Examination in Public, and the acute need for housing within the Borough, it is considered that the Land at Stratford Road, Hockley Heath can be classified as ‘Grey Belt’ land in a sustainable location. It is therefore not inappropriate development within the Green Belt is acceptable in principle.