COTSWOLD DISTRICT LOCAL PLAN 2001-2011 (Adopted April 2006)

COTSWOLD DISTRICT LOCAL PLAN 2001-2011 (Adopted April 2006)

1. A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

1.1. OUR DISTRICT

1.1.1 Cotswold District covers the eastern half of Gloucestershire. Located at the north eastern end of the South West Region, the District is also significantly influenced by the adjoining West Midlands and South East Regions.

1.1.2 Lying within the triangle of the M4, M5 and M40 motorways, the District has excellent communications in all directions. Evesham, Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford, Witney, Swindon, Bristol, Cheltenham and Gloucester all provide places of work for many people living in the District, and vice versa. It is also well within a two hour drive of London, Birmingham and South Wales. Trunk and other 'A' class roads cross the District, giving good access to the motorway network. There is also reasonable rail access, by ‘inter-city’ trains, from Moreton-in-Marsh and Kemble to London and the Midlands.

1.1.3 The Cotswolds is a very distinctive area, internationally renowned for its landscape and buildings. The landscape is characterised by open wolds, dry-stone walls, ancient beech woods and shelter belts, and deep river valleys with clear meandering trout streams. The District also has considerable nature conservation and biodiversity value. Historic market towns and villages, many constructed almost exclusively from local stone, seem to grow out of the hills from which they are made.

1.1.4 Since Medieval times, the wealth of the wool trade brought prosperity to the area. The fine manor houses and well-managed estates, wool merchants’ houses and elaborate '“wool" churches bear witness to this. Today, the Cotswolds display considerable wealth with its numerous country estates, high car ownership, high quality shops, high land and property values, and personal spending power. There are also, however, significant sections of the community that experience social and financial deprivation.

1.1.5 Like rural parts of the South East, Cotswold District has been experiencing pressures for growth and has seen an appreciable increase in its population. Movement out of London had spread to Gloucestershire by the 1970s, with the Cotswolds proving very attractive, both for retirement and for those commuting to relocated companies in neighbouring urban areas like Swindon, Cheltenham and Gloucester.

1.2. THE LEGAL AND STRATEGIC PLANNING BACKGROUND

1.2.1 The Planning and Compensation Act 1991 requires that every part of England be covered by a statutory development plan. This first review of the Cotswold District Local Plan has been prepared to meet the requirements of that Act, related legislation and Government advice, particularly Planning Policy Guidance Note 12: ‘Development Plans’, (PPG 12).

1.2.2 Under Section 38(6) of the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 the Council is required to have regard to this plan in determining planning applications unless material considerations, including national and regional policies indicate otherwise. Conversely, applications not in accordance with this plan should not be allowed unless material considerations justify granting a planning permission.

1.2.3 This Plan establishes clearly those interests that could be harmed by insensitive development and ensures their protection. It also makes positive proposals to ensure that the needs of the area are properly met through carefully located and well-designed development.

1.2.4 From time to time there may be cases where other material considerations outweigh policies. When there is a clear deviation from the Plan, such cases will be treated as formal 'departures' and advertised as such before a final decision is made. Where the scale or nature of a development, or its location, would significantly prejudice the implementation of the Plan's policies and proposals, the case will be referred to the Secretary of State who will have the opportunity to call-in the application for his own determination.

1.2.5 National planning policy is established by the Government through legislation, Circulars, Planning Policy Guidance Notes and Ministerial statements. All current national planning policy and advice has been taken into account in preparing this Plan.

1.2.6 Regional Planning Guidance for the South West (RPG 10) was reviewed in September 2001 and looks ahead to 2016. The Guidance was a key factor in establishing the planning context for the review of the Local Plan.

1.2.7 Strategic planning policy for Gloucestershire to 2011 is laid down in more detail in the Gloucestershire County Structure Plan Second Review. The Structure Plan sets out the broad levels of growth and change in the County as a whole. One of the important tasks for the Cotswold District Local Plan is to apply that strategy at the local level. The Structure Plan and Local Plan are, therefore, complementary and, together with the Gloucestershire Waste Local Plan and Minerals Local Plan, comprise the Development Plan for the District.

1.3. THE COTSWOLD COMMUNITY PLAN

1.3.1 The Cotswold Community Plan, reviewed annually following extensive community surveys, sets out the Council’s broad Strategy for the District. The Community Strategy’s overall aim is:

To achieve balanced, integrated and caring communities, supportive of each other, which maintain the distinctive heritage of the Cotswold District.

1.3.2 The 2001/2005 Cotswold Community Plan, which sets out the Council’s approach towards achieving its overall aim, is set out under the following headings:

· Strong Local Communities

· Health and Personal Well-Being

· A Well-Developed Infrastructure with Access for All

· Sustainable Development and Environment

· Affordable Housing

1.3.3 The essence of what the Community Plan is seeking to achieve is reflected in the Local Plan’s Vision for the District (see section 1.7).

1.4. SUSTAINABILITY

1.4.1 There is growing awareness and concern for the ‘environment’. On the global scale, pollution, water quality, the loss of wildlife habitats and species, the quality of urban life and poverty have all raised public concern. At the local level, there is a need to improve the quality of the environment and protect resources for future generations.

1.4.2 In preparing this Plan, the District Council has given considerable weight to the principles of sustainable development. The concept of sustainability has been defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development as:

“Development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Our Common Future: The Brundtland Report 1987).

1.4.3 Sustainable development is not limited to environmental concerns. The UK Strategy for Sustainable Development defines four broad objectives:

· Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment;

· Social progress which recognises the needs of everyone;

· Effective protection of the environment and

· Prudent use of natural resources.

1.4.4 Development can cause environmental damage to the Cotswolds. The area has a landscape of outstanding quality as well as an unusually large number of very attractive, historic towns and villages.

1.4.5 Development, however, cannot simply be stopped. To do so would cause serious harm to the social and economic fabric of the area and, ultimately, to its conservation. The reasonable aspirations of those who live and work in the Cotswolds and those who visit the area need to be met in a carefully controlled way. The development we pass on to future generations must be of a high quality. This Plan, therefore, places a strong emphasis on conservation and high quality design, as befits one of the most beautiful parts of rural England.

1.4.6 Within the context of the Gloucestershire Structure Plan’s strategy of restraint on residential development in the Cotswolds, the Local Plan takes account of sustainability principles. Housing sites are proposed in Cirencester and those Principal Settlements that have a good range of services and facilities, a complementary scale and range of employment opportunities, and relatively good public transport accessibility. These settlements are identified for small-scale residential development to serve local needs.

1.4.7 Wherever possible, previously developed sites within the urban areas of the most sustainable settlements have been allocated in preference to ‘greenfield’ sites. Other, smaller sites (less than 0.3 hectare) within urban areas will also continue to come forward as ‘windfalls’. An estimation of windfalls has been incorporated into the housing figures of the District Development Strategy.

1.4.8 Owing to the minimal amount of employment land required (after taking into account land already developed or otherwise committed), further allocations have been restricted to Cirencester and Tetbury. This will not, however, prevent other appropriate sites being developed or redeveloped on existing employment areas.

1.5. THE COTSWOLD DISTRICT LOCAL PLAN - GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1.5.1 A Strategic Appraisal has been carried out alongside the review of the Local Plan in accordance with Best Practice. That process was geared towards promoting sustainable forms of development and has influenced the Plan’s policies and proposals.

1.5.2 The Plan has taken sustainability as its starting point, therefore, the District’s natural environment and heritage are examined early in the document (Section 2: The Cotswold Environment) before dealing with development issues. The Plan goes on to indicate where development can take place, the criteria against which it will be judged, and the standards it must reach.

1.5.3 Throughout this Plan, the policies on specific planning issues follow a written justification, explaining the background to the policies.

1.5.4 Notes for Guidance sometimes follow certain policies, giving advice on how those policies will be applied and an explanation of words or phrases used. They are for guidance, and will be taken into account in decision making, but are not part of the policies to which they refer.

1.5.5 The policies of this Plan cover only those developments or works that require planning permission, approval under the advertisement regulations, or other planning legislation. The latter, for example, does not include applications for Listed Building Consent or Conservation Area Consent, to which Section 38(6) of the Act does not apply. The policies do not purport, in any way, to override legislation or statutory instruments.

1.5.6 All development involving new buildings must comply with the standards set out in Section 5: Raising Standards and Ensuring Quality.

1.5.7 The Proposals Map covers the entire District at a scale of 1:100,000. Policies covering large parts of the District are shown on the Proposals Map, which also indicates and lists the areas covered by larger scale Inset Maps. All maps have been reproduced from Ordnance Survey maps with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Crown copyright is reserved under the terms of the Council's licence.

1.5.8 In most cases, a development proposal will be affected by several policies, each dealing with a different aspect of planning. Policies, therefore, need to be read together in order to appreciate fully the implications of the Plan. Just because a proposal accords with one of the policies does not mean that planning permission will automatically be given - the proposal may conflict with other, equally important, policies. In such cases, the decision will take into account all relevant policies and other material considerations.

1.6. MONITORING THE PLAN’S EFFECTIVENESS

1.6.1 The Cotswold Community Plan and relevant Government Guidance have, together, helped shape the Local Plan’s reviewed Objectives. The objectives, in turn, are the basis for measuring the success of this Plan’s policies.

1.6.2 Targets for each Local Plan Objective have emerged through Strategic Appraisal and derived from various sources including the following.

· National Planning Guidance (PPG3, PPG13);

· Regional Planning Guidance (RPG10);

· Gloucestershire Structure Plan;

· Gloucestershire Local Transport Plan;

· Gloucestershire Biodiversity Action Plan;

· Cotswold Water Park Biodiversity Action Plan;

· Cotswold District Urban Capacity Study;

· Cotswold District Council Service Delivery Plan; and the

· Cotswold Economic Development Strategy.

1.6.3 The targets have, where appropriate, been supplemented by relevant targets in the Cotswold Community Plan (2001/2005).

1.6.4 PPG12 advises that aims, objectives and targets provide a consistent basis for monitoring the effectiveness of plans. A national Performance Indicator was set for local authorities, which required a comprehensive set of indicators and targets, based on all the main policy areas covered by local plans.

1.6.5 Monitoring information will be collected and used to establish the effectiveness of the Local Plan policies in meeting the Plan’s objectives.

1.6.6 The Council will publish annual monitoring reports, which will assess the implementation of the Local Plan and progress towards meeting the objectives.

1.7. A VISION FOR THE DISTRICT TO 2011

· Development will have been controlled in a way which continues to conserve and enhance the District’s natural resources, built heritage and biodiversity.

· New development will have been carefully planned, designed and located in or adjacent to the most sustainable settlements (in the context of strategic spatial policy) and in a way which maximises the use of previously developed land within urban areas and creates a safe and attractive environment.

· New development will have been planned and located so that it minimises car use, the need to travel and the impact of traffic generally, and encourages use of public transport, cycling and walking.

· Employment opportunities will have been created and maximised in a sustainable way that enables the economy of the whole District to remain successful and well mixed.

· Agriculture will have diversified in a way which is sensitive to the Cotswold environment, whilst maintaining a vibrant rural economy.

· The strategy of restraint on development in the District will have been maintained, whilst sufficient affordable housing will have been provided in the right sustainable locations to meet the District’s needs.

· Cirencester’s role as the District’s main service centre, together with the role of the Principal Settlements in providing everyday services to local communities, will have been enhanced, or, at the very least, maintained.

· Reasonable access will have been attained for local people to all basic services and facilities.

2. THE COTSWOLD ENVIRONMENT

1. INTRODUCTION

2.1.1 Few areas of Britain have the combination of natural and man-made environments that are found in the Cotswolds. The District has the largest area designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the greatest number of conservation areas, and the greatest number of listed buildings of any district in England. There are also numerous scheduled ancient monuments, historic parks and gardens and sites of special scientific interest (SSSI). Specific countryside designations offer statutory protection to the areas of highest quality, but even beyond those areas, the landscape of the Cotswolds is of a high standard and worthy of protection.

2.1.2 However, the Cotswolds is a lived-in landscape. Its appearance changes with different farming regimes and the seasons. Many of these changes are outside planning control, but, where controls do apply, the planning system must be flexible enough to allow the rural economy to adapt in order to ensure economic and social well-being.