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Bilbrook Mill Consultation

Website updated Autumn 2024 following pre-application consultation.

Emerging proposals for the next phases of Bilbrook Mill, a new neighbourhood east of Bilbrook, informed by the draft allocation for new homes and community facilities in South Staffordshire District Council’s Local Plan.
Family-owned housebuilder, Bloor Homes, is preparing outline plans for the next phases of Bilbrook Mill, a new neighbourhood east of Bilbrook. The proposals are informed by a strategic development allocation in South Staffordshire District Council’s emerging draft Local Plan. This sets out a vision for a new neighbourhood east of Bilbrook to contribute to the District’s housing need, providing high-quality new family and affordable homes, a new First School, community hub including potential retail provision, and green public open spaces. There will also be significant investment into infrastructure in the wider village of Bilbrook, including financial contributions to expand healthcare provision, and a programme of highways improvements including the Woodman Junction, Lane Green Road, and other key junctions. There will also be significant investment into the provision of high-quality, accessible active travel infrastructure both within the new neighbourhood and in the wider village.

The site for the proposed development includes the two parcels of land which were identified by South Staffordshire District Council in 2018 to meet future housing needs in the District and for which Bloor Homes submitted outline planning applications in 2023 following consultation with the local community. These parcels form part of the wider neighbourhood and have been integrated into the emerging proposals.

Our emerging proposals

Our emerging proposals are informed by the vision set out in the site allocation in South Staffordshire District Council’s draft Local Plan. In line with this vision, we envisage the creation of a new neighbourhood, consisting of:

  • Up to 750 high-quality homes in a range of styles and tenures. 
  • 40% of new homes would be affordable housing, providing opportunities for key workers and people on low incomes with local connections to secure a home of their own in Bilbrook.
  • The provision of Specialist Older People’s accommodation (circa 75 units).
  • Homes built to the very latest standards of sustainability, with measures such as EV charging infrastructure, solar panels, and high levels of energy efficiency. 
  • A new First School located centrally within the new neighbourhood. 
  • A mixed-use local centre or community hub, incorporating potential retail provision and community facilities. 
  • A network of active travel routes set within green corridors and landscaped public open space.
  • The retention of existing landscape features alongside extensive landscape planting and habitat creation enhance the biodiversity value of the site.
  • The creation of extensive public open space, including new public parkland and a central community piazza.
  • Significant investment into local infrastructure, including the expansion of healthcare provision and a programme of highways improvements and active travel infrastructure.
  • Investment into improved provision at the sports facilities to the north of Pendeford Mill Lane.

What is the Local Plan?

A Local Plan is a document that sets out the vision for future development in a local authority area. Government requires that all local authorities have an up-to-date local plan in place and review it at least every five years.

The previous South Staffordshire Local Plan consists of two documents, the Core Strategy which was adopted in 2012 and the Site Allocations Document (SAD) adopted in 2018. With that Plan now out of date, South Staffordshire District Council has undertaken a review of its Local Plan, carrying out extensive consultation in late 2022 (known as Regulation 19 consultation) and again in 2024. The site  for our new neighbourhood at Bilbrook Mill is identified as a wider strategic development location in the recently published draft new South Staffordshire Local Plan as Policy SA1, and our proposals are informed by this draft allocation.

Consultation

We wanted to ensure that the proposals for Bilbrook Mill align as much as possible with the needs and aspirations of the local community in Bilbrook, whilst delivering on the Council’s vision for the new neighbourhood as set out in the emerging new Local Plan.

In addition to delivering a range of new homes that meet local needs, alongside a new First School, community facilities and extensive green public open spaces, the emerging plans will also generate investment into improvements to local infrastructure and services in Bilbrook.

This website was created to provide an opportunity for members of the community to view our emerging plans and provide feedback on your priorities for new homes and investment in Bilbrook to help shape a development that meets the needs of the local community now and in the future.

Following the public consultation which took place in the Autumn of 2023 on the two smaller safeguarded site, feedback from that process was taken on board as plans moved forward to encompass the wider site. We then carried out further consultation with the community during the summer of 2024 to present our emerging plans as we prepared an outline planning application for the new neighbourhood at Bilbrook Mill.

Consultation drop-in event

In addition to this consultation website, we also held a consultation drop-in event at Bilbrook Village Hall where the information from the website was available to view, along with an opportunity to speak to members of the project team. The drop-in event took place as follows:

Venue: Bilbrook Village Hall, Joey’s Lane, Bilbrook, WV8 1JL
Date: Tuesday 9 July 2024
Time: 2:30pm – 6:15pm

The information displayed at the drop-in exhibition was the same as that shown on this website, providing an opportunity for those who may not have easy access to the internet to view the plans.

We are grateful to all those members of the community who provided comments via the website and attended the consultation drop-in event.

Planning application autumn 2024

Following consultation during the summer of 2024, our outline planning application for Bilbrook Mill has now been submitted to South Staffordshire District Council and is available to view on the Council’s planning portal here.

You can download the main planning application document, the Design and Access Statement here.

You can continue to view the information from our pre-application consultation on this website, but please note that this has now been superseded by the submitted plans. You can also continue to get in touch with our team with any questions via our get in touch page.

Timeline

Previous consultation on sites south of Pendeford Mill Lane and east of Lane Green Road

Autumn 2023

We consulted the local community on outline proposals for two sites safeguarded by the District Council in existing planning policy for the future delivery new homes.

Local Plan published

Spring 2024

South Staffordshire District Council published its draft new Local Plan, allocating a wider site east of Bilbrook for new homes, school and community facilities (incorporating the two safeguarded sites)

Pre-application consultation on outline proposals for Bilbrook Mill

Summer 2024

Informed by the allocation in the draft new Local Plan, we are carrying out further consultation with the community, seeking feedback and suggestions on our emerging proposals for Bilbrook Mill - a new neighbourhood of homes, First School and community facilities east of Bilbrook.

Outline planning application

Late-summer/early Autumn 2024

We will submit an outline planning application to establish the broad principles of the proposals for Bilbrook Mill, such as overall number of homes, facilities, and access arrangements.

Statutory consultation

Autumn 2024

South Staffordshire District Council will carry out their own statutory consultation on our submitted outline plans.

Outline planning application determined

In line with South Staffordshire District Council timescales, anticipated early 2025

South Staffordshire District Council will make a decision on the granting of outline planning permission for Bilbrook Mill.

Reserved matters planning applications

2025

Should outline planning permission be granted, we will then prepare Reserved Matters planning applications, which will include finer details such as house types and designs, detailed layout, landscaping details etc. Local people will have a further opportunity to provide input at this stage, prior to the reserved matters applications being submitted to the Council for determination.

Find out more and have your say: