Key Considerations

The applicant is working with a team of technical and environmental consultants to develop a proposal; we have had regard to the following:

Highways and access

A Transport Assessment (TA) has been produced to support and shape the proposed development.

It explains that the development access strategy comprises of:

A simple priority vehicle access junction from Houndsfield Lane, at the existing site access location
2m wide footways to each side of the new street, connecting with the committed footway improvement scheme on Houndsfield Lane
Improvement of Public footpath 552(B) within the site to provide a surfaced and lit corridor with a minimum width of 2m and accessible connections with the existing footway network at Mayhurst Close and Wythwood Grove
Extension of the existing 30mph speed limit east along Houndsfield Lane to include the development site and committed development site access. This would assist in reducing vehicle speeds at the entrance to the expanded Hollywood village residential area.
The site access has been designed to accommodate refuse collection and service vehicles.

The TA sets out that the site is located within comfortable walking distance of local bus services that pass along Hollywood Lane and provide services to/from Solihull town centre. The site is within the recommended walking distance of the nearest bus stops and the village centre, local shops, schools, employment opportunities, and Wythall railway station can be reached within a walking distance of 2km or less as recommended in national guidance.

Drainage

A Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy has been prepared to support the proposals. It demonstrates that flood risk form all sources has been considered. It confirms that the site is located within Flood Zone 1 with low chance of flooding. The drainage strategy includes an attenuation basin which will store up to the 1 in 100 year event plus an allowance for climate change before discharging into the nearby surface water sewer.

Landscape and visual impact

A Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment has been undertaken to assess the likely impact of the proposals on the surrounding views and landscape character. Key points from the document are set out below:

The Site lies within the Timbered Pasture Landscape Type as defined by the Worcestershire Landscape Character Assessment Supplementary Guidance. This landscape is characterised by gently rolling pasture fields, strong hedgerow networks, and abundant mature trees that create a sense of enclosure. Although the wider area retains this distinctive pastoral structure, the Site itself is influenced by its proximity to Hollywood’s suburban edge, giving it an evident transitional semi-rural character.
Vegetation plays a key role in defining the local landscape. Mature hedgerows and tree belts along the Site’s boundaries reinforce the wooded character that is typical of the Timbered Pasture Landscape Type. From a visual perspective, the Site is well-contained by vegetation and landform, with open views only available from public rights of way along the western boundary of the Site. Views from Houndsfield Lane, local roads and other parts of nearby public rights of way are filtered by field hedgerows and trees. There are no long-distance views due to the gently undulating topography and mature vegetation cover.
Overall, the Site and its immediate surroundings reflect the character of the Timbered Pasture landscape while showing localised suburban influence. The most sensitive visual receptors being nearby residents and users of adjacent public footpaths who experience views at close range.

The Opportunities and Constraints

The Site’s gently undulating landform, mature boundary vegetation, and strong landscape framework offer clear potential to integrate new development with minimal wider visual impact. The established hedgerows and trees define a robust green infrastructure structure, while the enclosed nature of the Site provides capacity to accommodate change without disrupting the wider landscape pattern.
Key opportunities include the retention and enhancement of existing vegetation, particularly the mature hedgerows and tree belts along the eastern and northern boundaries, which provide visual containment and ecological value. The existing field pattern and access along Houndsfield Lane offer a logical framework for sensitive design responses.
Principal constraints relate to the proximity of adjacent dwellings to the west and the need to maintain a soft, green transition between the suburban edge of Hollywood and the open countryside to the east. Any new built form should therefore respect the Site’s visual containment and avoid breaking the established skyline or extending beyond the current settlement frontage along Houndsfield Lane.

Landscape Mitigation Strategy

The landscape mitigation has been developed as an integral part of the design process to ensure that the Proposed Development responds positively to the existing landscape character and visual context. The strategy is based on the following key principles:

Retention of existing vegetation: All boundary hedgerows and mature trees will be retained and safeguarded throughout construction, forming the basis for the new landscape structure.
Layout and Siting: The proposed development will be set back from all boundaries to allow sufficient space for landscape buffers. The existing green frontage along Houndsfield Lane will be maintained to respect the established building line.
Definitive green edge: A reinforced green corridor along the eastern boundary will be created through additional native planting, establishing a clear and defensible Green Belt boundary.
New planting and habitat creation: new hedgerow and tree planting within the Site will enhance biodiversity and reinforce the wooded character of the Timbered Pasture landscape type.

Collectively, these measures will strengthen the Site’s landscape containment, maintain the semi-rural setting of Hollywood, and support the release of land from the Green Belt by establishing a clear, enduring, and landscape-led settlement boundary.

The photos below demonstrate how visible the development of the site will be from various locations surrounding the site.

Heritage

There are no listed buildings or protected heritage areas on the site itself. A Heritage Assessment has concluded that the development will cause no harm to designated heritage assets in the wider area. Although the wider area does have some historically significant sites, including Berry Mound Fort, they’re well screened by trees. We’ll continue to ensure the design respects the area’s character and history.

Ecology & Trees

We’ve carried out or scheduled a full set of wildlife surveys, including for birds, bats, great crested newts and other species, alongside arboriculture and ecological assessments. Based on what we’ve found:

The Site off Houndsfield Lane, Hollywood comprises a singular field utilised as grazing pasture for horses on a rotational basis. As the field is small and subject to disturbance from grazing horses and recreational use as a public right of way, it does not present suitable habitat for ground nesting bird species, nor is it considered likely to support a population of reptiles, though boundary features such as hedgerows may form part of a larger home range for both reptiles and badgers.
The hedgerow and treeline habitat which bounds the Site is largely to be retained and is considered the focal habitat for faunal species associated with the Site, the majority of which are all common and widespread species typical of the habitat within the Site and the broader suburban landscape and are considered likely to utilise post-development habitats.
Considering the results of the ecological surveys carried out throughout 2025, no faunal species are considered to present an ecological constraint to the proposed development of the Site.
The site has been assessed in line with BNG legislation, and we are looking at a range of options to deliver the 10% net gain.