WHAT ARE THE CONTENTS OF THE CURRENT PLAN

HOUSING POLICIES

  • Policy H1: Amount and Location of New Housing
  • Policy H2: Preventing Backland Development
  • Policy H3 : Affordable Housing Prioritised For Local People

EMPLOYMENT & BUSINESS IN HOLWELL

  • Policy EB1: Locations for Employment and Business
  • Policy EB2 : Camping and Caravanning sites

COMMUNITY POLICIES

  • Policy C1: Important Community Facilities
  • Policy C2: Public Rights of Way

LANDSCAPE POLICIES

  • Policy E1: Locally Important Views
  • Policy E2: Locally Important Woodlands, Wildlife and Landscape Features
  • Policy E3 : Buildings and Structures of Local Importance
  • Policy E4: Design

DETAILS OF THE POLICIES

HOUSING POLICIES

Provision is made for up to four (4) new build, open market houses to be developed in Holwell during the Plan period (April 2017 to March 2031), through allowing one dwelling (net) on each of the identified sites allocated in this Neighbourhood Plan and shown on the policies map.

The sites selected for new build, open market housing are as follows:

  • Site between Roseacre & Newhaven, Fosters Hill. (Landowner advises planning application pending)
  • Plot adjacent to The Rectory, Pulham Road. (Landowners advise they will be seeking planning permission)
  • Westbourne. (Ongoing building works)
  • Site adjacent to Gunville House (Landowner advises planning application pending)

The conversion of existing buildings to the rear of an established building line, such that it would comprise back land development, is not supported.

The site to the rear of 7 and 8 The Plot (as shown on the policies map) is identified as the preferred location for a rural exception site for affordable housing for local people, and may be developed once the Crouch Lane affordable housing site is fully occupied and there is an identified affordable housing need.

The site would be developed for 100% affordable housing, in accordance with the local plan policy for rural exception sites. A legal agreement will be sought with the developers and providers of affordable housing to ensure that it remains affordable in perpetuity and allocations are prioritised to people with a local connection to the parish.

POLICIES ON EMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS 

New employment premises and built tourist accommodation should either:

  • be well-related to existing buildings and the highway network
  • be part of a farm diversification scheme, or
  • re-use an existing building

and comprise sensitive, small-scale development that would not be intrusive in the landscape or cause harm to protected species or designated wildlife habitats. The development of new employment premises on sites that lie behind an established building line, such that they would comprise back land development, should be avoided unless the development comprises the intensification or extension of an established employment site and no alternative frontage sites are available.

Adverse social or environmental impacts that would clearly outweigh the potential economic benefits should be avoided, through:

  1. having good road access, avoiding routes through residential or other sensitive areas where significant traffic movements would be severely detrimental to the living conditions of residents or cause harm to designated heritage or other environmental assets, and
  2. not generating noise, pollution or other effects which would cause harm to the living conditions of nearby residents or harm the enjoyment of public areas including rights of way or cause harm to protected species or designated wildlife.

New camping or caravanning sites to provide tourist accommodation should meet all of the following criteria:

  • comprise sensitive, small-scale sites that would not be intrusive in the landscape
  • have good road access, avoiding routes through residential or other sensitive areas where significant traffic movements would be severely detrimental to the living conditions of residents or cause harm to designated heritage or other environmental assets, and
  • not generate noise or other effects which would cause harm to the living conditions of nearby residents or harm the enjoyment of public areas including rights of way.

COMMUNITY POLICIES

Community facilities listed below should be retained where possible, and every effort should be made to work with the local community to investigate potential solutions to avoid any unnecessary loss of these valued facilities and services. Proposals that would allow such facilities to modernise and adapt for future needs, including complementary facilities that would support their long-term viability, are encouraged.

  • Church and churchyard
  • Village Hall
  • Nursery School

In addition to those listed above, proposals for new facilities will be supported, provided the site is within or on the edge of the built-up area of Holwell, which includes The Borough, subject to consideration of environmental, road safety and amenity concerns.

The network of public rights of way will be safeguarded, and improvements to provide safer and more accessible routes will be supported.

LANDSCAPE POLICIES

The design and layout of development should minimise adverse impacts on views from public rights of way over open countryside and preserve and enhance such views where possible.

Development that would adversely affect the rural setting of the village (whether by scale, massing, design or location) will not be supported.

All woodlands, veteran trees and the wildlife areas identified on the Holwell Policies Map, shown at Appendix P5, should be protected and managed to sustain them in the long term. Where their loss cannot be avoided, suitable replacement planting that will provide a similar landscape and wildlife benefit should be secured.

Where development is proposed, native hedgerows and mature trees should be retained where possible, or replanted if there is a specific reason why they cannot be retained.

Development that would noticeably detract from the rural character of the lanes and tracks in the parish, including the distinctive wide grassed verges, will not be supported.

All landscaping schemes should respect local landscape qualities taking account of existing natural landscape and native flora, including the preservation and strengthening of existing wildlife corridors.

Biodiversity mitigation and enhancement should be secured on all development sites over 0.1ha, and on sites where there are known habitat/protected species interests that may be affected by the proposed development, including the potential presence of bats or barn owls.

Direct or indirect harm to Identified Locally Important Buildings and Structures (as shown in Appendix P13) should be avoided unless clearly justified, having regard to the contribution the asset makes to the historic and architectural character of the area balanced against the scale of any harm or loss taking into account the potential to avoid harm through changes to the scheme design.

Any future development should be designed to reinforce the distinctive rural character of Holwell parish. This should include reference to and consideration of all of the key characteristics, as described in Table 3 below.