A planning inspector has overturned a Solihull Council decision to refuse outline permission for 80 new homes proposed on green belt land in Hockley Heath. The development, submitted by the Roscon Group in July last year, covers 2.25 hectares off Stratford Road and includes the demolition of two existing homes to create access.
The application faced significant opposition from local residents, Meriden and Solihull East MP Saqib Bhatti, and local councillors. Eighty-five objection letters were submitted to the council prior to the planning committee meeting in December, where concerns were raised over the “tsunami” of development proposals affecting the village and longstanding flooding issues.
Despite these objections and the council’s refusal citing flood risks and a lack of “very special circumstances” to justify building on the green belt, the planning agent Donna Savage described the scheme as “policy compliant” with no technical objections relating to highways or drainage.
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Following the council’s rejection by an 8-0 vote, the developer appealed the decision. Planning inspector K Townend undertook a site visit in June and concluded that flooding issues stemmed from existing ineffective sewers rather than the proposed development. The inspector noted that the demolition of the two houses would reduce outflow into the drainage system and that the development would include on-site surface water attenuation, with final outflow directed to a drainage system in nearby Rashwood Close and School Road, which has sufficient capacity.
The inspector also determined the proposal did not constitute inappropriate development in the green belt.
In a critical assessment of the council’s decision-making, the inspector ruled that refusal on flood risk and infrastructure grounds unrelated to the proposal amounted to “unreasonable behaviour.” Consequently, the council was ordered to pay the appellant’s appeal costs, with the inspector stating the applicant had incurred unnecessary expense due to the refusal.
The full appeal decision can be accessed via Solihull Council’s online planning portal by searching for application reference PL/2025/01366/PPOL.