Central Bedfordshire Council Planning Pages

Conditions or Reasons for Planning Application - CB/16/00637/FULL

Conditions or Reasons:

1) The site lies within the South Bedfordshire Green Belt, where permission will not be granted except in very special circumstances for development for purposes other than those uses listed in paragraphs 89 & 90 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The proposal would spread built development across the whole site, including an undeveloped and open area of the site and as such would have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt and would be more intrusive in the landscape than the existing buildings, therefore the proposal would be inappropriate within the meaning of the NPPF. The very special circumstances put forward do not outweigh the harm to the Green Belt. The harm would comprise harm by reason of inappropriateness, harm by reason of impact on openness, harm to the character and appearance of the area and encroachment into open countryside. The proposal is therefore contrary to Section 9 to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

2) The limited facilities within Totternhoe are likely to result in additional journeys by private car to other locations to access health, retail and leisure opportunities. The proposal is not considered to be sustainable development and therefore is contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework and Policy SD1 of the South Bedfordshire Local Plan Review.

3) Insufficient information has been provided to enable a proper assessment of the proposal in terms of landscape and visual impact. The site extends to open countryside and the proposal would introduce a new urban edge into the landscape, detrimental to the rural landscape of the locality. The proposed landscaping is inadequate to ensure integration or appropriate wildlife habitat. At present the proposal conflicts with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and policy BE8 of the South Bedfordshire Local Plan Review.

4) The proposed development would have inadequate garden sizes and would result in a cramped form of development which would be incongruous and out of character with the existing uniform grain of development and with adjoining dwellings in the locality, exacerbated by the close proximity of the proposed development against the eastern boundary hedgerow which would result in the likely loss of the hedgerow which provides significant greening and visual screening of the site. The visual impact of the proposed development would also be exacerbated by the gradient of the land and thereby would be harmful to the visual amenities of the countryside and to the character of the area. The proposal therefore fails to conform with policy BE8 of the South Bedfordshire Local Plan Review, the Central Bedfordshire Design Guide and Section 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

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