We at Tamworth Borough Council have picked apart the judgement from the inspector, including using a barrister again, while we disagree with some of the findings we can find no grounds to further appeal the decision from the inspector / Secretary of State. This is not to say we are done, but have to be realistic about the next steps.

INFRASTRUCTURE:

The decision limits development to certain numbers until the Grampian Conditions agreed by all Councils are met. Namely, once 200 are completed highways works must be completed before more homes can be built. This is where our challenge will continue, we will challenge every piece of infrastructure proposed to ensure it can be fully demonstrated it works / is legal. While I suspect we all know that houses are now going to happen long term in this area it is about ensuring they do it right. We are challenging the developer and the County Council to show how the monitoring and future planning of the road network will be done to meet the Inspectors decision. But we cannot overturn a decision by the Secretary of State.

An interesting development is the current review of Lichfield's Local Plan that has already had a hearing and decisions are awaited (see info below on the link). Tamworth Borough Council put a lot of comments into the review. An interesting point to come out of the consultation was developers with land around Brownhills are challenging Arkall Farm as undeliverable against the Inspector decision and stating they have sites that are more deliverable. We will watch this with a keen eye.

https://www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/Council/Planning/The-local-plan-and-planning-policy/Local-plan/Local-Plan-Allocations.aspx

CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy):

Any contributions by the developer towards infrastructure we are challenging Lichfield District Council to hand over (through a legal document) a correct percentage to Tamworth Borough Council. Not to balance our budgets as you can't legally do that, but to help us use the funds to mitigate impacts along the Ashby Road into Tamworth and the whole impact on the North of Tamworth. These conversations are still progressing.

Interestingly the Inspector chose not to make a decision on this part. Instead expects a mature conversation between the two Councils. Talks continue in this regard.

UNDERSTANDING OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

The key issue we are looking at is that if the Inspector has stated 1,000 homes with the conditions around infrastructure, what happens if newer developments are approved by planning committees in the North of Tamworth, for example off Wiggington Road or along the back of the North side of Browns Land towards the village of Wiggington. We will challenge any application to form part of the 1,000 set out in the Inspectors decision in regards the Road Network in the North of Tamworth. But we are still working on the whole picture in regards this.

The whole picture is we are still working through many complications this rises as new factors present themselves.

Cllr Danny Cook

Leader of Tamworth Borough Council