​If growth is being “planned responsibly” — where is the plan?

Planned Growth — Or Planning Without a Plan?
Recent election material claims that growth in Solihull is being “planned responsibly” and that the Green Belt is being protected.
But that raises a simple, obvious question:

If it’s being planned — where is the plan?
Because “planned growth” implies something clear:

• A current, up-to-date Local Plan
• A framework guiding where development should — and should not — happen
• A system led by policy, not pressure

And that is where the difficulty begins.

Solihull does have a Local Plan — adopted in 2013.
But in 2026, that plan is now over a decade old and based on housing needs that no longer reflect current demand. A replacement plan was being prepared, but it was withdrawn in 2024.
As things stand today, Solihull does not have an up-to-date Local Plan in place.

No Up-to-Date Plan = More Speculative Development
When planning policy is out of date, the system does not stop — but it does change.
Without a current plan:

• The council cannot demonstrate a 5-year housing land supply
• National policy gives greater weight to development proposals
• Developers can argue that policies are out of date
• Decisions become more influenced by appeal risk

In simple terms:
The system becomes more reactive than planned.

🔍 Why Are More Applications Coming Forward?
Out-of-date plans and low housing supply create the conditions for more speculative applications.
Because:

• Developers can argue policies are out of date
• The council cannot show enough deliverable housing land
• Refusals are more likely to be challenged — and overturned — on appeal

Result:
More applications.
More pressure.
More decisions made case by case.

🏗️ What This Means on the Ground
This is not about whether development should happen — it will.
The issue is how decisions are made when the framework guiding them is no longer current.
In this environment:

• Applications are more likely to come forward on a speculative basis
• Decisions are more frequently made case by case
• Greater weight is given to risk of losing at appeal

The balance shifts — away from plan-led development, and toward decision-led development.

👥 Where Transparency Becomes Critical
When decisions are made:

• Under pressure
• With out-of-date policy
• On a case-by-case basis

It becomes more important for the public to see:

Who supported what decisions — and why
But in practice:

• Planning Committee decisions are usually recorded as:
  “Approved” or “Refused”
• Individual votes are not routinely published

So residents can see what was decided --
but not always who backed it

🔍 The Bottom Line
Solihull does have a plan — but it is a plan from 2013.
There is no up-to-date replacement in place.
And until there is, decisions are being made in a system shaped by:

• Increased pressure
• Greater discretion
• And reduced visibility

A plan from 2013 is not a plan for 2026.