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Policy H5: Larger Settlements

The majority of the 2400 new dwellings required in the Borough between 1993 and 2006 will be located in the following larger settlements:

Oswestry Town, Morda, Gobowen, Kinnerley, Llanymynech, Pant, Ruyton XI Towns, St.Martins, Trefonen, West Felton, Weston Rhyn, Whittington.

Within these settlements, housing development will be permitted on allocated sites, on sites with planning permission, and on other suitable windfall sites within the development boundaries which satisfy Policies H4 and H16.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

3.83 - One of the main aims of the Local Plan, as set out in Chapter 2, is to achieve a sustainable pattern of development. In particular the Local Plan aims to influence the need to travel by car by carefully considering where new housing development is located, in accordance with Government policy, especially PPG 13 'Transport'.

3.84 - The Borough Council's approach in this Local Plan is to direct the majority of new housing development to settlements which are well served by a choice of means of travel, and also where there are existing services and facilities available which can be reached by residents without the need to use a car. Local services and facilities include schools, shops, community centres, sports & leisure facilities, public houses, health centres, places of worship and public transport.  Access to sources of local employment is also an important consideration.

3.85 - The Borough Council considers that a significant proportion of new housing development should be directed to the Oswestry Urban Area (i.e. the Town of Oswestry and Morda village). Community services and facilities, as well as employment, are concentrated in the town, and there are suitable opportunities for development on an urban scale. The urban area also has bus links with surrounding settlements and a Town service, and journeys to work-places, shops, schools and other facilities in the Town can be taken by means other than the private car.

3.86 - The Borough Council considers that there is also justification for a reasonable amount of new development in some of the Borough's larger villages. The rural settlements listed in this policy are obvious focal points for new housing development because of their size, range of facilities and ability to absorb a limited amount of larger scale development.

3.87 - Although these villages rely to some extent on the Town of Oswestry for some services and employment, they also provide a number of local services themselves, which can be reached by the local population without the need to travel by car. Furthermore, many of these larger villages act as service centres for surrounding smaller villages and hamlets. Without the facilities available in larger villages, residents of the smaller and more remote parts of the Borough would have to travel further for services and facilities, and these journeys are more likely to be taken by car.

3.88 - Promoting further development in these settlements will not only help to reduce the need to travel by car, but will also support the retention and expansion of a good range of services and facilities throughout the Borough.

CAPACITY FOR GROWTH

3.89 - This policy also aims to ensure that new housing development in the Borough is distributed in line with the physical and environmental capacity of the various settlements in the Plan Area.

3.90 - The amount of land allocated in each settlement has been determined by a detailed survey and subsequent discussions with service providers and the Highway Authority. The provision of public services and utilities to new housing development is an important consideration. The availability of public infrastructure to serve new development, particularly mains drainage and other utilities are important advantages to development in these villages.

3.91 - An attempt has been made to allocate a variety of sites, some of which will be suitable for relatively high density development of smaller homes to accommodate locally generated demand. It has not always been possible to allocate a choice of housing sites within each large village.

Policy H6: Smaller Settlements
Back To Section 3: Housing Development In Settlements
Back To Local Plan 1996-2006