| Conditions or Reasons: | | 1)
The site is in the Green Belt. The proposed development consisting of the erection of six buildings, four of which would be internally divided, to create covered space for the maintenance, servicing and repair of fairground rides, is an inappropriate form of development in the Green Belt and therefore, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt. The proposal would be an encroachment into the countryside and would fail to preserve the openness of the Green Belt in both spatial and visual terms. Notwithstanding the factors including sufficient buildings for the needs of Travelling Showpeople's plots put forward these do not clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt, and other harms in respect of landscape / countryside harm, harm to residential amenity, flood risk and proximity to watercourses harm, and highways harm 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), December 2023, Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (PPTS), 19 December 2023, 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. In such areas only particular types of development will be permitted. The proposed erection of six buildings for the maintenance, servicing and repair of fairground rides does not fall within one of these development exception types, and would fail to protect the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policy SP7 (Windfall Development) of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015-2035, July 2021. |
| 3)
The proposed development consisting of the erection of six buildings for the maintenance, servicing and repair of fairground rides would permanently extend built form out into the rural landscape and erode the existing local landscape distinctiveness failing to reflect the local landscape character of Central Bedfordshire Landscape Character Assessment (CBLCA) Type 8: Clay Hills and Area 8A: Toddington - Hockliffe Clay Hills. Proposed landscape mitigation measures would be ineffective and insufficient. The proposal is therefore contrary to Section 15 (Conserving and enhancing the natural environment) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), December 2023, and Policies EE5 (Landscape Character and Value) and HQ1 (High Quality Development) of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 - 2035, July 2021. |
| 4)
The proposed development is unacceptable due to a failure to provide an acceptable layout and design in terms of the separation of living, working and vehicle areas within proposed plots, or the provision of amenity areas or clear routes of separated movement. In these respects the proposal presents a poor standard of amenity for occupants, contrary to Section 12 (Achieving well-designed and beautiful places) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), December 2023, and Policies H7 (Assessing Planning Applications for Gypsy and Traveller Sites), H8 (Assessing Planning Applications for Travelling Showpeople Sites) and HQ1 (High Quality Development) of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 - 2035, July 2021, and the Central Bedfordshire Design Guide, August 2023. |
| 5)
The site is partially within Flood Zone 3, which is land defined as having a high probability of flooding. In such locations a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) must be submitted. In the absence of a FRA the flood risks posed both to the development and in terms of increasing flood risk elsewhere are unknown. Furthermore the proximity of proposed structures to two watercourses that border the site would interfere with required access for maintenance activities. The proposal is therefore contrary to Section 14 (Meeting the challenge of climate change, flooding and coastal change) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), December 2023, and Policies CC3 (Flood Risk Management) and CC4 (Development Close to Watercourses) of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 - 2035, July 2021. |
| 6)
By reason of a lack of information on the proposed number of caravans and trip generation, the level of intensification of use above that currently consented cannot be determined. Furthermore the proposed layout suggests potential conflict between the residential and non-residential elements of the proposal, and in the absence of updated supporting transport information including access proposals to incorporate previous requirements for visibility splays and improved junction radii, and updated tracking for the access junctions and internal layout, safe access to the site and manoeuvrability within the site cannot be demonstrated. The proposal is therefore unacceptable in highway terms and contrary to Section 9 (Promoting Sustainable Transport) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), December 2023, and Policies T1 (Mitigation of Transport Impacts on the Network) and T2 (Highways Safety and Design) of the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan 2015 - 2035, July 2021. |
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