Issue - meetings

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is due to pre-scrutinise this report at a meeting scheduled to take place on Thursday 21^st October 2021.  Any recommendations arising from this meeting will be reported for the Executive Committee’s consideration in a supplementary pack.

The Strategic Planning and Conservation Manager presented a report in respect of the adoption of the Church Green Conservation Area.

A report on this subject had previously been considered by the Executive Committee in the 2020/21 municipal year, where draft proposals had been agreed.  Officers had subsequently launched a consultation exercise in February and March 2021.  All local business owners in the conservation area had been directly contacted about this consultation process, which had also received coverage in the local press and had been promoted on the Council’s website and social media accounts.  The feedback provided in the 13 responses that had been received in this consultation process had been listed in the report alongside Officer responses to the points that had been raised.

The Council was working with partner organisations, including Worcestershire County Council and the North Worcestershire Economic Development Unit (NWEDR) in respect of the Church Green Conservation Area.  A number of key issues had been identified that would require partnership working, including actions in respect of the public realm and parking on Unicorn Hill and the Church Green area.

Following the presentation of the report, Members discussed the consultation process that had been undertaken in relation to the Church Green Conservation Area.  Members expressed some disappointment in the relatively low response rate to the consultation process.  It was noted that those people and businesses that were not directly impacted by the proposals detailed in the report could still respond during the consultation process and this had been highlighted in the press coverage.

Reference was also made to the proposed amendments to the Church Green Conservation Area.  Members agreed that it was important to protect the Borough’s heritage and the Church Green Conservation Area would help in this process.  In addition, Members welcomed the extension of the Church Green Conservation Area to include additional properties located on Alcester Street, as Members commented that many of these buildings had been constructed in the same period in which the buildings on Church Green East had been built.

RECOMMENDED that

1)     Council approves the Church Green Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, and endorses its contents as a material consideration for planning purposes; and

2)     Council approves the designation of the proposed extension to the Conservation Area to include 5 – 11 Alcester Street.