| Conditions or Reasons: | | 1)
The site is in the Green Belt. The proposed development consisting of the continued use of Site A as a Gypsy and Traveller site for seven families with the stationing of 16 static caravans and two tourer caravans, including six more static caravans than have previously been approved, and the retention of hardstanding and boundary treatments, is an inappropriate form of development in the Green Belt and therefore, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt. The proposal would fail to preserve the openness of the Green Belt. The commencement and completion of the development in advance of obtaining any planning permission constitutes intentional unauthorised development which adds weight against the proposal. The Council can comfortably demonstrate a five-year supply of Gypsy and Traveller pitches. Notwithstanding the factors including a lack of alternative available sites and personal family and children circumstances put forward, these do not clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt, and other harms in respect of the proposed layout demonstrating a poor standard of amenity for future occupants, risk to the water environment, flood risk, and adverse affect to the integrity of the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation (SAC), so as to constitute very special circumstances to justify the grant of full planning permission. The proposal is therefore contrary to Section 13 (Protecting Green Belt land) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), July 2021, Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (PPTS), August 2015, and Policy SP4 (Development in the Green Belt) of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 - 2035, July 2021. |
| 2)
The proposed development is not in a Settlement Envelope, but is in open countryside and not in a location well connected to and accessible to nearby services and facilities by sustainable modes of transport. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies SP7 (Windfall Development) and HQ1 (High Quality Development)of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015-2035, July 2021. |
| 3)
The proposed development is unacceptable due to a failure to provide an acceptable layout in terms of the close proximity of caravans to roads and communal car parks, and the siting of private vehicles in close proximity to caravans, and also the provision of some caravans on site is not to a standard that would be acceptable for all year round residential use. The proposal therefore presents a poor standard of amenity for future occupants, contrary to Section 12 (Achieving well-designed places) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), July 2021, and Policies H7 (Assessing Planning Applications for Gypsy and Traveller Sites) and HQ1 (High Quality Development) of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 - 2035, July 2021. |
| 4)
The proposed development is unacceptable due to a lack of information / clarity on the proposed arrangements for foul drainage disposal to demonstrate whether there would be an adequate facility of sufficient capacity and sound construction and not demonstrating that the sequentially preferred option of connection to a mains foul sewer is not practicable. This presents a risk to the water environment, and the proposal is therefore contrary to Section 15 (Conserving and enhancing the natural environment) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), July 2021, and Policies H7 (Assessing Planning Applications for Gypsy and Traveller Sites and CC6 (Water Supply and Sewerage Infrastructure) of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 - 2035, July 2021. |
| 5)
The proposed development is unacceptable due to a lack of information / clarity on the proposed arrangements for surface water disposal, in respect of whether use of the ditch outside the application site adjacent to Stanbridge Road is in a suitable condition to allow for free flowing conditions and to operate at full capacity, and the provision of further drainage to intercept surface water from the hardstanding on site. The proposal therefore presents a flood risk and is contrary to Section 14 (Meeting the challenge of climate change, flooding and coastal change) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), July 2021, and Policies H7 (Assessing Planning Applications for Gypsy and Traveller Sites) and CC3 (Flood Risk Management) of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 - 2035, July 2021. |
| 6)
The proposed development would, by reason of its proximity lying within a 12.6km distance of the Ashridge Commons and Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) within the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation (SAC), add to the recreational disturbance in this area, and be likely to harm the integrity of the conservation purposes of the SAC. In the absence of an appropriate strategy to mitigate this harm, the proposal would be contrary to the Habitat Regulations, Section 15 (Conserving and enhancing the natural environment) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), July 2021, and Policy EE3 (Nature Conservation) of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 - 2035, July 2021. |
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