Another step towards Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) getting a local plan has been taken with a draft submission set to go in front of senior councillors next week.

The 200 page draft plan outlines how the authority could develop up to 2043, including proposals for housing which has become a massive issue as Solihull is under pressure to meet the government's target of building 8,500 new homes in the borough before 2029.

The draft plan features various policies which deal with significant changes to national planning policy since the previous 2020 plan was published, and a former draft plan had to be withdrawn.

The plan says: "Whilst the 2020 plan sought to accommodate a need based on an annual requirement of 816 dwellings per annum (dpa), the change to national planning policy increases this to 1,289 dpa – a 58 per cent increase."

One of the policies is: "The council will identify sufficient land for at least 13,096 net additional homes, to ensure sufficient housing land supply to deliver 21,913 additional homes in the period 2026-2043."

The "broad locations" for more than 8,000 homes have not yet been revealed, with a note included saying these are to be given to cabinet members prior to the cabinet meeting.

The draft plan notes that currently around 20 planning applications for major residential development are awaiting determination – with these applications containing proposals for more than 4,000 dwellings.

Two thirds of the borough is located in the green belt and protection of this area has become a major issue. The plan says "generally open and undeveloped nature of the following vulnerable gaps will be protected" listing:

• Between the urban edge and Dickens Heath
• Between the urban edge and Cheswick Green
• Between Dickens Heath and Tidbury Green
• Between Dickens Heath and Cheswick Green
• Between Cheswick Green and Blythe Valley Park

A recent change in national guidelines promotes development around well-connected railway stations. The draft plan says "an assessment on a station-by-station basis has been undertaken to identify the likely capacity that could come forward from sites within 1,000m of railway stations "- with this figure being 8,219 homes.

However, it is stressed: "Whilst development of land within 800m walking distance of a railway station may be considered as appropriate development, development of land between 800m and 1,000m (or even beyond) would need to be based on very special circumstances."

Major developments mentioned include Mell Square's redevelopment, providing up to 1,600 residential units; 469 dwellings in the Heart of Solihull quarter and 100 dwellings in Chelmsley Wood town centre.

And on the 340-acre Arden Cross – which has been proposed to become a mixed use site around the new HS2 Interchange station – the plan says: "The 2021 masterplan for the site indicated the creation of a new residential community delivering up to 3,000 new homes.

"The revised programme for HS2 is likely to have implications on the timescales. At this stage it is considered prudent to continue to acknowledge the residential component of the development will not be completed within the plan period, and for land supply purposes a total of 1,600 is considered a reasonable expectation within the plan period."

The draft plan is set to go before a specially arranged meeting of the authority's cabinet next Tuesday (September 29).

If approved it will go to full council for approval and, if rubber stamped there, residents and other interested parties would then have six weeks to submit their comments.

Following this the council will then submit the plan to the government for independent examination.

Cllr Andrew Mackiewicz, the authority's cabinet portfolio holder for climate change and planning, said: "This plan seeks to protect the features that make Solihull a special place to live, such as the green belt and Meriden Gap; whilst meeting government targets and providing homes and jobs suitable for all – in a managed and sustainable way.

"This latest version incorporates the feedback from the consultation held earlier in the year, as well as responding to the significant changes to national planning policy over recent years."