Tender for the production of a Development Framework and Site Delivery Plans for Carters Green

Tender description

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council is seeking to appoint a Multi-disciplinary Planning and Regeneration Consultancy to produce a Development Framework and Site Delivery Plans to drive future development and investment in the Carters Green area of West Bromwich. Background Carters Green is a Local Centre located immediately north west of West Bromwich Strategic Centre in Sandwell Borough. Despite its adjacency to the Strategic Centre, Carters Green is recognised as a separate Local Centre within Development Plan policy due to its contrasting function to the Strategic Centre and the distinct types of commercial and retail occupiers in this part of the High Street. Carters Green Local Centre extends from Albion Roundabout in the north west to the Dartmouth Street / Sandwell Road / High Street crossroads in the south east, broadly encompassing the commercial properties and land uses along High Street. The Black Country Core Strategy was adopted in 2011 and seeks to focus investment and development in comparison shopping, office employment, leisure, tourism and culture within the four Strategic Centres. West Bromwich is expected to deliver an additional 220,000sqm of office floorspace and 65,000sqm comparison retail floorspace over the period 2006-2026, and 900 new homes over the period 2009-2026. Since the Core Strategy was adopted there has been a significant shift towards online retailing, and a reduced demand for physical retailing space. The emerging Black Country Plan (Regulation 18 version) now seeks to regenerate and re-invigorate existing retail floorspace in Centres as little retail capacity has been identified to support additional floorspace over the plan period. Draft policies CEN 1 and CEN 2 seek to diversify the uses within all Centres, such as maximising residential provision and growing complementary uses such as community, health and education uses. Draft policy CEN4 in the emerging Black Country Plan supports proposals for new commercial, business and service uses in Local Centres that meet day-to-day needs and serve local communities. The Council, and its partners, are driving significant intervention in West Bromwich to increase housing delivery, diversify the uses within the Centre and grow complementary uses. The regeneration programme is being guided by the recommendations of the West Bromwich Masterplan, which was adopted in February 2022, and financed in part by £25 million investment secured via the Government's Towns Fund (please see https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/downloads/file/31196/west_bromwich_tip_summary). Carters Green is outside the Strategic Centre and is not covered by the Masterplan document. Nevertheless, its proximity makes it an attractive area for regeneration and growth, and there has been increasing private developer interest in the area. A highways scheme was recently completed along High Street in Carters Green which has re-allocated highway space to pedestrians and creat...