| Conditions or Reasons for Planning Application - CB/22/03358/FULL |
| Conditions or Reasons: | | 1)
The proposal would constitute inappropriate development within the Green Belt and would be harmful by reason of inappropriateness, and loss of openness. The proposal would also result in harm to the character and appearance of the area and the AONB landscape by virtue of its urbanising impact and the development appearing at odds with the pattern and grain of development within the area. The proposal also fails to demonstrate that it would not result in an impact to protected species which could be adequately mitigated against and has not shown that adequate parking and access arrangements at the site could be achieved in a way which would not result in detriment to highway safety. No Very Special Circumstances have been demonstrated that would clearly outweigh this harm. The proposal is therefore contrary to policy SP4 of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan, and Section 13 of the National Planning Policy Framework. |
| 2)
The proposed development, by virtue of the introduction of new built form within an existing open, undeveloped parcel of garden land, the removal of landscaping which makes a positive contribution to the visual amenities of the area, as well as the removal of hedgerow which would result from the creation of a new access point, would be harmful to the character and appearance of the AONB. The design of the development is also at odds with the pattern and grain of development within the area which exhibits detached dwellings set within spacious plots. As such, the proposal would not be considered to be of high quality design which reinforces local distinctiveness, nor would it be sensitive to the key characteristics of the site and the surrounding AONB area, and would be considered to be in conflict with policies HQ1, EE5 and EE7 of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan as well as sections 12 and 15 of the NPPF. |
| 3)
Insufficient information has been provided within the application to demonstrate that the proposal would not have an unacceptable impact on protected species, habitats or ecosystems, or that the development would be able to deliver a net gain for biodiversity. As such, the proposal is contrary to policies EE2 and EE3 of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan and Section 15 of the National Planning Policy Framework. |
| 4)
The proposed development fails to demonstrate that the proposed vehicle accesses can be accommodated in a manner that would not cause increased danger and inconvenience to users of the highway and the premises. As such, the proposal is contrary to policy T2 of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan and section 9 of the NPPF. |
| 5)
The application contains insufficient information to show that the proposed off-street parking provision and turning facilities to accommodate a light goods vehicle can be accommodated in a manner that would not cause increased danger and inconvenience to users of the highway. The proposed development is therefore in conflict with policies T2 and T3 of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan and section 9 of the NPPF. |
| 6)
The Council considers that the proposed development would, by reason of its proximity lying within a 12.6k metre linear distance of the Ashridge Commons and Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest within the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation, add to the recreational disturbance in this area, likely to harm the integrity of the conservation purposes of the Chiltern Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation. A Strategic Solution to ensure that adequate mitigation is provided for new housing development within this 12.6km area has yet to be adopted. As such, in the absence of an adopted (or interim) mitigation strategy, and based on the evidence submitted, it has not been demonstrated that the development proposal would avoid an adverse effect on the integrity of the SAC. The proposal would therefore be contrary to the Habitat Regulations and paragraphs 180 and 181 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2021 and policy EE3 of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015-2035. |
|
|---|