DOCSLIB.ORG

Planit SHSID Questions Response

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Planit SHSID Questions Response 25th November 2019 Local Plans Team South Staffordshire Council Council Offices Codsall South Staffordshire WV8 1PX Dear Sirs, Local Plan Spatial Housing Strategy and Infrastructure Delivery PlanIT Planning and Development (“PlanIT”) are instructed to submit representations to the South Staffordshire Local Plan Spatial Housing Strategy and Infrastructure Delivery consultation document (“SHSID”). Whilst we support the stated ambitions of the emerging Plan, in seeking to provide a sufficient amount of housing, employment land and infrastructure to meet not only the residents of South Staffordshire but also to assist in meeting the unmet housing requirements of the conurbation, these aspirations do not, in our view, appear to be reflected in the consultation document. Our comments on the consultation document are set out below. This letter responds to the various questions included in the SHSID consultation document as appropriate. We also provide comments on specific matters raised within the text of the SHSID where questions are not raised, but we have objections. 2. The Local Plan Review – Progress to Date (Paragraphs 2.1 – 2.2) Paragraph 2.2 of the consultation document advises that the Council is of the view that it should plan for its own housing needs, and a contribution of up to 4,000 dwellings towards the unmet needs of a wider Housing Market Area (“HMA”). However, if there is evidence that the extent of housing shortfall across the HA is significantly reduced prior to the Local Plan Review submission, the Council will reduce its contribution to the unmet needs of other authorities proportionately. We have a number of concerns with this approach. We set out our comments on the proportion of the unmet housing requirement of the conurbation that South Staffordshire should provide for in our response to paragraphs 2.3 to 2.6 below. In summary, it is our view that South Staffordshire will need to provide significantly more than the 4,000 dwellings suggested to help meet the unmet housing needs of the conurbation. There is still significant work to be done on the extent and distribution of the unmet housing requirements of the conurbation. However, as drafted paragraph 2.2 suggests that South Staffordshire’s contribution can only be decreased. Paragraph 2.2 should be amended to confirm that as the Plan progresses, and additional evidence arises on the extent and distribution of the housing shortfall from the conurbation, the emerging Local Plan will seek to 1 accommodate an appropriate proportion of this requirement. This could be greater than the 4,000 units currently suggested and it should not automatically be assumed that this figure will be reduced. The suggestion that the housing requirement can only be decreased is inflexible and entirely inappropriate. The Preferred Housing Target for the Local Plan Review (Paragraphs 2.3 – 2.6) We support the use of the Standard Method in establishing the South Staffordshire’s proportion of the emerging Local Plan’s housing requirement. It should, however, be noted that the Standard Method is under review. As a consequence the housing requirement in the emerging Plan may need to change in accordance with revisions to national planning policy. This aspect of the Plan, therefore, needs to be kept under review. It is our view that the Plan should make a significantly greater contribution to the unmet housing requirements of the conurbation than that currently identified. The current evidence on the extent of the housing shortfall from the conurbation can be found in a variety of sources, including the adopted Birmingham Development Plan and the emerging Black Country Core Spatial Strategy. The Birmingham Development Plan was adopted in January 2017. Policy PG1 – Overall Levels of Growth, advises that Birmingham’s objectively assessed housing need figure for the period 2011-2031 is 89,000 dwellings (4,450 dpa). It is not, however, possible for this level of development to be accommodated in the City’s administrative area. Policy PG1, therefore, plans for the provision of 51,100 dwellings within the Plan area and advises that the City Council will work with other authorities within the Housing Market Area through the Duty to Cooperate to deliver the residual 37,900 dwellings. Since the adoption of the Birmingham Development Plan, Birmingham City Council has produced a new Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment 2018. This document suggests that the capacity for sites within the urban area of Birmingham has increased, and there is now a total supply of 61,403 dwellings during the course of the Plan period. This is made up of 14,047 completions between 2011/12 and 2017/18. The remaining 47,356 dwellings are from sites that are allocated by the Birmingham Development Plan, have planning permission, or are identified as potentially being suitable development opportunities by the SHLAA. The SHLAA advises at paragraph 2.2 that: “The inclusion of a site in the SHLAA does not mean that it will be developed for housing, it does not mean that housing is the only suitable use for a site, and does not necessarily mean, where it is not already the case, that planning permission would be granted for housing. Circumstances may change over time.” The SHLAA is not an allocations document. It has not been the subject of examination or independent testing in the same way that the capacity figures in Birmingham Development Plan Policy PG1 have been. In addition, there is no suggestion by the City Council that we are aware of that policy PG1 is an out of date policy of that the residual housing shortfall figure identified by Policy PG1 should not be planned for by other authorities within the Plan area. However, even based upon the SHLAA capacity figures, the outstanding housing requirement drops to 27,597 dwellings. This is still a significant amount. 2 In addition, if the SHLAA is to be treated as new and relevant updated evidence regarding the capacity of Birmingham to accommodate development and the extent of the shortfall, other relevant material considerations that have arisen since the adoption of the Birmingham Development Plan should also be taken into account. This includes the application of the Standard Method to identify Birmingham’s housing requirement. The adopted Birmingham Development Plan includes a requirement of 4,550 dwellings per annum. However, this figure is below that which arises from the application of the Standard Method calculation for the City. The Standard Method housing requirement figure for Birmingham is 4,975 dpa. If the SHLAA capacity figures are to be treated as new and up-to-date evidence so should the Standard Method housing requirement. In addition, the extent of the identified shortfall for Birmingham also needs to be considered in the context of the Plan periods for the adopted Birmingham Development Plan and the emerging South Staffordshire Plan. The Birmingham Development Plan has an end date of 2031. As such the extent of the housing requirement, and the extent of the housing shortfall, is only established for a period up to 2031. The emerging South Staffordshire Plan is being prepared to have an end date of 2037. Consequently, no provision will be made within the emerging South Staffordshire Plan for any shortfall that could arise from Birmingham in the period beyond 2031. However, all current evidence suggests that it is highly unlikely that Birmingham will be unable to identify any significant new capacity within its administrative area through any future Local Plan Review. In all likelihood Birmingham City Council will need to ask neighbouring authorities, including South Staffordshire, to make contributions in their replacement plans to meet the growth of Birmingham beyond 2031. If South Staffordshire fails to make an appropriate contribution towards the unmet housing requirements from the conurbation emerging evidence through the Birmingham Local Plan Review process could result in the emerging South Staffordshire Plan either being found to be unsound as it progresses through examination or, potentially, there being an immediate requirement for a review in order to assist in meeting the growth requirements of other authority areas. The Black Country authorities are also in a position where they are relying upon other authorities within the HMA to deliver a significant amount of housing to help meet their growth requirements. The Black Country authorities are currently in the process of preparing a replacement for the Black Country Core Strategy. Issues and Options consultation was taken on the emerging Core Strategy between July and September 2017. The consultation document advises that 78,000 dwellings will be required between 2014 and 2036 in order to meet the growth requirements of the Black Country (3,545 dpa). However, the Issues and Options consultation document was published before the revisions to the PPG that require the application of the 2014 household projections in the Standard Method calculation. This level of growth referred to in the Issues and Options consultation document is lower than that required through the application of the Standard Method which the emerging Plan will now be required to comply with. The Standard Method results in a housing requirement for the Black Country of 3,761 dpa. The Issues and Options consultation Black Country Core Strategy advised that it is estimated that sites within the Black Country urban area, including developments already being built, sites with planning permission and for increased densities on existing sites could deliver 56,000 dwellings. This leaves a shortfall of 22,000 dwellings that will need to be provided outside of the urban area. This is, however, an under-estimate based upon the updated Standard Method figure referred to above. It is appreciated that land may be released from Green Belt within the emerging Black Country Core Strategy plan area to meet part of the identified shortfall.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Report to Birmingham City Council and Bromsgrove District Council
    The Planning Inspectorate Temple Quay House Report to Birmingham 2 The Square Temple Quay Bristol BS1 6PN City Council and ( 0117 372 8000 Bromsgrove District Council by Jill Kingaby BSc(Econ)MSc MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Date 10 February 2009 for Communities and Local Government PLANNING AND COMPULSORY PURCHASE ACT 2004 SECTION 20 REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION INTO THE LONGBRIDGE AREA ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT PLAN DOCUMENT Document submitted for examination on 28 March 2008 Examination hearings held between 14 & 22 October and on 4 December 2008 File Ref: LDF000893 Birmingham City and Bromsgrove District Councils – Longbridge Area Action Plan - Inspector’s Report - 2009 1 Introduction and Overall Conclusion 1.1 Under the terms of Section 20(5) of the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the purpose of the independent examination of a development plan document (DPD) is to determine: a) whether it satisfies the requirements of s19 and s24(1) of the 2004 Act, the regulations under s17(7), and any regulations under s36 relating to the preparation of the document; b) whether it is sound. 1.2 This report contains my assessment of the Longbridge Area Action Plan DPD in terms of the above matters, along with my recommendations and the reasons for them, as required by s20(7) of the 2004 Act. 1.3 I am satisfied that the DPD meets the above-mentioned requirements of the Act and Regulations. My role is also to consider the soundness of the submitted Longbridge Area Action Plan (LAAP) against the tests of soundness set out in Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS12).
    [Show full text]
  • The Worcestershire Biodiversity Action Plan
    The Worcestershire Biodiversity Action Plan Abstract Following its commitment to the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity the UK began to develop a policy and strategy framework, beginning with Biodiversity Action Plans and recently with a focus on ecological networks and green infrastructure. This project contributed to Worcestershire’s Biodiversity Action Plan review process by demonstrating how green infrastructure (GI) can be identified and delivered in the Urban Habitat Action Plan. GI provides multifunctional benefits, so will help encourage biodiversity through a wide network of green spaces and corridors in urban and natural environments. It is crucial that biodiversity is conserved and sustainably managed for future generations because it provides direct and indirect services for people, such as food and climate regulation. i Worcestershire Biodiversity Action Plan 2018 H14 Urban HAP Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... i Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................... ii Table of Figures ...................................................................................................................................... iii Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................................... iv 1 Introduction
    [Show full text]
  • Delegate List
    A Glimpse of the Future? Energy & Housing in the West Midlands th The 10 West Midlands HECA Forum Conference Delegate List Andrew Nightingale Solid Fuel Association Andy Matchet Coventry City Council Andy? Coel Bromsgrove District Council Angie Madden Wolverhampton City Council Angie Nicholls EAGA Partnership Anne-Marie Neenan Black Country Housing Group Barbara Sarbinowska Worcester City Council Barbara Ware Lichfield District Council Barry Kendall Powergen Bill Johnson Coventry City Council Brian Talbot Mark Insulation Group Chris Banks Powergen Chris Chapman Worcester City Council Chris Winter Borough of Telford & Wrekin Chris Hale Wolverhampton City Council Chris Wright Sandwell Warm Zone Claire Page NES Ltd Clive Notley Novacroft David Jullien WEEAC David Baxendale North Warwickshire District Council David Newitt British Gas Debbie Lafferty Hestia Deniese Samson Miller Pattison Don Wright Redditch Borough Council Doug Jones Sunvic Eddie Lumley Alpine Environments Ellie Cooper Hestia Ester NEA Midlands Graham Jones South Shropshire District Council Hilary Williams Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust Jane Poxon British Gas Jim White FGF Insulators Joanne Clark Novacroft John Burns Birmingham City Council Julia Ring Bromsgrove District Council Karen Weber Coventry City Council Keith Bennett Hestia Laura Bootes Connaught Les Craggs Oswestry Borough Council Lorraine Simpson Sandwell Warm Zone Mandy Findlay Wolverhampton City Council Marie Marrigen Heatsavers Mark Plumb Mark Insulation Group Michael O'Connor Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
    [Show full text]
  • Choice Plus:Layout 1 5/1/10 10:26 Page 3 Home HOME Choice CHOICE .ORG.UK Plus PLUS
    home choice plus:Layout 1 5/1/10 10:26 Page 3 Home HOME Choice CHOICE .ORG.UK Plus PLUS ‘Working in partnership to offer choice from a range of housing options for people in housing need’ home choice plus:Layout 1 5/1/10 10:26 Page 4 The Home Choice Plus process The Home Choice Plus process 2 What is a ‘bid’? 8 Registering with Home Choice plus 3 How do I bid? 9 How does the banding system work? 4 How will I know if I am successful? 10 How do I find available properties? 7 Contacts 11 What is Home Choice Plus? Home Choice Plus has been designed to improve access to affordable housing. The advantage is that you only register once and the scheme allows you to view and bid on available properties for which you are eligible across all of the districts. Home Choice Plus has been developed by a number of Local Authorities and Housing Associations working in partnership. Home Choice Plus is a way of allocating housing and advertising other housing options across the participating Local Authority areas. (Home Choice Plus will also be used for advertising other housing options such as private rents and intermediate rents). This booklet explains how to look for housing across all of the Districts involved in this scheme. Please see website for further information. Who is eligible to join the Home Choice Plus register? • Some people travelling to the United Kingdom are not entitled to Housing Association accommodation on the basis of their immigration status. • You may be excluded if you have a history of serious rent arrears or anti social behaviour.
    [Show full text]
  • Notice of Poll Bromsgrove 2021
    NOTICE OF POLL Bromsgrove District Council Election of a County Councillor for Alvechurch Electoral Division Notice is hereby given that: 1. A poll for the election of a County Councillor for Alvechurch Electoral Division will be held on Thursday 6 May 2021, between the hours of 07:00 am and 10:00 pm. 2. The number of County Councillors to be elected is one. 3. The names, home addresses and descriptions of the Candidates remaining validly nominated for election and the names of all persons signing the Candidates nomination paper are as follows: Names of Signatories Name of Candidate Home Address Description (if any) Proposers(+), Seconders(++) & Assentors BAILES 397 Birmingham Road, Independent Kilbride Karen M(+) Van Der Plank Alan Bordesley, Redditch, Kathryn(++) Worcestershire, B97 6RH LUCKMAN 40 Mearse Lane, Barnt The Conservative Party Woolridge Henry W(+) Bromage Daniel P(++) Aled Rhys Green, B45 8HL Candidate NICHOLLS 3 Waseley Road, Labour Party Hemingway Oreilly Brett A(++) Simon John Rubery, B45 9TH John L F(+) WHITE (Address in Green Party Ball John R(+) Morgan Kerry A(++) Kevin Bromsgrove) 4. The situation of Polling Stations and the description of persons entitled to vote thereat are as follows: Station Ranges of electoral register numbers of Situation of Polling Station Number persons entitled to vote thereat Rowney Green Peace Mem. Hall, Rowney Green Lane, Rowney 1 ALA-1 to ALA-752 Green Beoley Village Hall, Holt End, Beoley 2 ALB-1 to ALB-809 Alvechurch Baptist Church, Red Lion Street, Alvechurch 3 ALC-1 to ALC-756 Alvechurch
    [Show full text]
  • Arts Uplift CIC.Pdf
    Case studies: How have culture and creativity been supporting people in health, care and other institutions during the Covid-19 pandemic? Project: Love Music “Just wanted to drop you a Organisation: Arts Uplift CIC message to say how truly Region: West Midlands and the South West wonderful your sessions are :) Thank you” A zoom session with Arts Uplift’s online dementia choir Credit Arts Uplift CIC Introduction Arts Uplift CIC is an arts and health and heritage community interest company. We aim to improve individuals and community’s physical and mental well-being of all ages through inspirational arts and culture with high quality artists and museum workers. We also aim to mentor the next generation of community artists through our mentoring schemes connected to our projects and upskill individuals through our volunteering scheme also. We have delivered a few different projects to reach people in care homes during Covid-19. Love Music is our monthly music project. Instead of meeting in person we started to record our musicians playing at home, hosted them on Vimeo and then e-mailed them out to care homes and through social media. We have also started delivering them through live Zoom sessions. We also started an online dementia choir, again delivered through Zoom, and care homes have been participating in this also. Finally, we delivered a project called Inside Stories where we worked with care homes through dance and movement. They explored how they were feeling through lock down through dance and we created a short dance film to showcase
    [Show full text]
  • The Local Government Finance Report (England) 2017/2018
    Department for Communities and Local Government Local Government Finance (England) The Local Government Finance Report (England) 2017/2018 HC 985 Department for Communities and Local Government Local Government Finance (England) The Local Government Finance Report (England) 2017/2018 Presented to the House of Commons pursuant to paragraph 5 of Schedule 7B to the Local Government Finance Act 1988 HC 985 © Crown copyright 2017 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected]. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at Department for Communities and Local Government Fry building, 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF Telephone: 030 3444 0000 Print ISBN 9781474140270 Web ISBN 9781474140287 ID P002858400 02/17 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum Printed in the UK by the Williams Lea Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office Contents 1 Introduction 4 2 Central and local share 5 3 Revenue Support Grant 7 4 Distribution of Revenue Support Grant 8 5 Distribution of Baseline Funding Level 13 6 Tariff and top-up amounts 20 7 Credit to the Levy Account 26 8 Pooling 27 9 Conclusion 35 Annex A 36 Services Included within Each Tier 36 Annex B 38 Calculation of the Service Tier Scaling Factors 38 1 Introduction 1.1.
    [Show full text]
  • Minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee
    [NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED] Overview and Scrutiny Committee Date 27 January 2017 Minutes Members Councillor Peter Hughes Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (Chair) Councillor David Sparks Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (Vice Chair) Councillor Ian Shires Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council Councillor Tersaim Singh City of Wolverhampton Council Councillor Claire Spencer Birmingham City Council Councillor Jenny Wheeler Redditch Borough Council Paul Brown Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership Sarah Windrum Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership In Attendance Jess Bayley Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils Jan Britton Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council André Bromfield West Midlands Combined Authority Rachel Ratcliffe City of Wolverhampton Council Sarah Sprung Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council / West Midlands Combined Authority Mark Taylor City of Wolverhampton Council Emma Williamson Birmingham City Council Carl Craney West Midlands Combined Authority By Invitation John Cade Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) Sean Russell West Midlands Police and Mental Health Commission Implementation Director Observer Councillor Stephen Simkins City of Wolverhampton Council 17/16 Apologies for Absence Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Stuart Davis (Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council), Councillor Nathan England (Telford and Wrekin Council) and Councillor John Mutton (Coventry City Council). [NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED] 18/16 Chair’s Announcement The Chair, Councillor Peter Hughes, welcomed Sarah Windrum, the representative from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, to her first meeting of the Committee. At his request and for her benefit, introductions were duly made. He also welcomed Councillor Stephen Simkins, Chair of the Scrutiny Board at the City of Wolverhampton Council and Fiona Botterill, the former Scrutiny Manager at Telford and Wrekin Council who were observers at the meeting.
    [Show full text]
  • North Worcestershire Economic Growth Strategy Places | Businesses |People 2019-2024
    NORTH WORCESTERSHIRE ECONOMIC GROWTH STRATEGY PLACES | BUSINESSES |PEOPLE 2019-2024 FOREWORD Combining old and new urban settlements, rolling green landscapes and small villages with an eclectic mix of history and culture, North Worcestershire is a place of tremendous business innovation, pioneering spirit and distinguished heritage of national and international significance. From Kidderminster-based Sir Rowland Hill, the originator of the penny postage system and developer of the modern postal service, which was adopted worldwide, to playing a major role in manufacturing and developing technologies around the world, such as helping to make the world’s first jet engine (Redditch) and being home to one of the top ten and internationally renowned independent schools in the country (Bromsgrove), North Worcestershire is defined by a constant drive to innovate, progress and excel. This entrepreneurial and innovating spirit is embraced today by many of the 17,500 businesses based in North Worcestershire, accounting for 52.5% of all businesses in Worcestershire. Our businesses continue to achieve phenomenal levels of growth with half of the top 50 fastest growing companies in the county coming from North Worcestershire and seven of them placed in the top 10, as reported in the Worcestershire Business Growth Barometer published by BDO in 2018. Building on the area’s current success and recognising that the public sector must do its share to enable North Worcestershire to retain and strengthen its competitive advantages, the local authorities
    [Show full text]
  • Housing Need and Housing Land Supply Position Statement (September 2018) 1 Introduction
    Greater Birmingham and Black Country Housing Market Area (GBBCHMA) Housing Need and Housing Land Supply Position Statement (September 2018) 1 Introduction 1.1 This second position statement draws upon the Strategic Growth Study (SGS, GL Hearn/ Wood, 2018), which was commissioned by the 14 Local Planning Authorities to establish the extent to which the Greater Birmingham and Black Country Housing Market Area1 (GBBCHMA) can meet its own housing needs up until 2031 and 2036. The SGS was published on all participating local authorities’ websites along with an initial position statement2. 1.2 The statement extracts the most relevant information regarding housing need and supply from the SGS and updates as appropriate where additional information is available. It also sets out the timetables for plan reviews for GBBCHMA authorities. It is anticipated that this statement will provide a starting point from which future Statements of Common Ground, as required by the revised 2018 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), can develop. 1.3 The Birmingham Development Plan (BDP, adopted January 2017) identifies a shortfall of 37,900 dwellings for the period 2011 – 31. Policy TP48 states that: The Council will also play an active role in promoting, and monitor progress in, the provision and delivery of the 37,900 homes required elsewhere in the Greater Birmingham Housing Market Area to meet the shortfall in the city. This will focus on: The progress of neighbouring Councils in undertaking Local Plan reviews to deliver housing growth to meet Birmingham’s needs. The progress of neighbouring Councils in delivering the housing targets set out in their plans.
    [Show full text]
  • Working Together to Build a District Where
    Council Plan 2017-2020 “Working together to build a district where people are proud to live and work, through community leadership and excellent services” Welcome to the Bromsgrove District Council Plan. It sets out what matters to our residents and our priorities for 2017-2020. It looks at how we can work together with our partners for the benefit of all of our communities to create a Better Bromsgrove for everyone. As newly appointed leader for the Council I am keen that while our priorities remain realistic and achievable, they also embrace a This Council plan has been put new and effective way of approaching the challenges which local together with 2 main provisos: government faces. We are all aware of the financial pressures • That we listen to our residents in terms impacting on local Councils. Therefore, we need to reduce costs and generate income to increase our longevity and so we can reinvest of what services they wish us to provide this money in the areas which will benefit our residents the most, • That economic development and especially those who are on limited incomes. As other Councils have income generation will be our prime done, we will review all our assets and consider how best they can drivers to sustain financial stability generate income for the Council. During 2017-2020, we intend This plan is split into strategic purposes to guide us and includes actions for each of our strategic areas, providing us with a clear focus to focus on the following 6 key for addressing issues and allocating funding for the next four years.
    [Show full text]
  • Bromsgrove District Council
    CONTENTS Page Number Chair’s Foreword 2 Summary of Recommendations 3 Introduction/Background Information 5 Chapter 1: External Service Provision 9 Chapter 2: Working in Partnership 17 Chapter 3: Council Services 20 Conclusion 22 Appendix 1 - Terms of Reference 23 Appendix 2 - Witnesses 26 Appendix 3 - Timeline of Activities 27 Appendix 4 – Blank Template Questionnaire 28 Appendix 5 – Declarations of Interest 30 Appendix 6 – Table: Service Delivery Models 31 Membership of the Task Group Councillors Jayne Potter (Chair), Tom Baker-Price, Gay Hopkins and Paul Swansborough. Completed December 2015 Contact Further copies of this report are available on request from: Address: Overview and Scrutiny Team, Democratic Services, Redditch Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch, B98 8AH Email: [email protected] 1 FOREWORD Our leisure and cultural services, including the Palace Theatre and Forge Mill Needle Museum, are a great credit to Redditch and provide very useful and interesting amenities for our residents. However a large subsidy is currently required from the taxpayer to maintain these services which may lead to cuts being necessary in the near future as a result of the national economic situation. It was with this in mind that we wanted to investigate what other Councils have done in order to maintain services, and in many cases improve them. We sent a simple questionnaire to a number of Councils and were very pleased with the quantity and quality of responses that we received. This led to us visiting Chase Leisure Centre where we met representatives of Cannock Chase District Council and also meeting with the Leader of Tamworth Borough Council.
    [Show full text]