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Policy H19: Development in the Open Countryside

All other areas outside the development boundaries of settlements named in policies H5 to H7 are considered to be open countryside, within which new dwellings will not be permitted unless.

1.  They are required by essential agricultural or forestry workers in accordance with Policy H20

2.  They are affordable housing 'rural exceptions schemes' which comply with Policy H26

3. They are conversions or replacement dwellings in line with policies H21 and H24

4. The development is unobtrusive and closely related to an existing settlement, farmstead or group of buildings

5. Particular care is taken with regard to the design and scale of new development in order to protect the character of the area.

In all cases, development must satisfy Policy H4 .

3.144 - Policies H5 to H7 direct new housing development to the most appropriate locations, where it can be accommodated without adverse effect on the appearance of the area and where public services and facilities are available.

3.145 - General housing development outside these settlements will be resisted in order to protect the character and appearance of the rural area. This policy does, however, allow for special circumstances where people have a need for housing in a particular location, including agricultural or forestry workers, those with special employment or medical needs, and those in need of affordable housing which cannot be accommodated within existing settlements.

3.146 - Where exceptions are made, sites must be unobtrusive and as closely related to existing development as possible. Special care should also be taken with regard to the design and scale of such new development in order to protect the character of the countryside.

3.147 - The Borough Council considers that this policy is appropriate to the Oswestry rural area, consistent with Government advice on housing in rural areas contained in PPG 3 (Housing), and is supported by long established policy in the Shropshire County Structure Plan.
3.148 - Outside the development boundaries of the settlements listed in policies H5 to H7 , planning permission for individual dwellings may be granted in exceptional circumstances provided that :

1.  The dwelling  is intended for a household with a Special Housing Need, as defined below,
2.  There is no reasonable alternative,
3.  The proposed site is suitable for development.

SPECIAL HOUSING NEEDS

3.149 - General housing development in the countryside is not acceptable unless there are exceptional circumstances which merit special consideration.

3.150 - In some cases, currently resident local people may have a special need of a new dwelling on a specific site, as a result of special employment or household circumstances, as set out below.

EMPLOYMENT-RELATED NEEDS

3.151 - Outside settlements where land for housing development is allocated, there may be employment sources (usually in the form of workshops, commercial or tourist enterprises) where the owner or other employee can establish beyond reasonable doubt the need to live close to the business.

3.152 - In the case of newly established businesses in suitable premises, it may be more appropriate to issue a temporary permission to site a caravan or mobile home until the enterprise becomes established and the need for a permanent dwelling can be fully assessed.

SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS

3.153 - Occasionally, there will be people who currently live in the countryside who, by virtue of a serious illness or disability, need 24-hour care by another person on a permanent basis and/or specially designed living accommodation. In such cases, the Borough Council would normally expect suitable accommodation to be provided by means of an appropriate extension to the existing dwelling, by the conversion of a suitable building within its curtilage, or by the temporary siting of a residential caravan. In exceptional circumstances where these options are not available, a new dwelling, intended for the person requiring care or the carer, could be given permission on a specific site. It is anticipated that such cases will be extremely rare, and would require the full support of a General Practitioner, together with a specialist medical Consultant's report.

3.154 - In both of the above circumstances, the main criterion of judgement is the need to live in this location (rather than a general desire or because a piece of land may be available). If the applicant has no very strong employment or medical reason to live in this particular location, then no exception should be made.

3.155 - It should be made clear that neither retirement, nor the fact that an existing property has become too large or unsuitable for the present occupier, would justify a new dwelling under this policy.

IS THERE NO REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE?

3.156 - This policy is intended to cover cases of special local housing need which cannot  be met either by the supply of existing housing or by new housing sites allocated in the area. To satisfy  the Borough Council that there is no reasonable alternative to constructing a new dwelling on the site in question, the following criteria must be satisfied :

a) The location is such that it is unlikely that a suitable existing dwelling would become available in the area within a reasonable period of time. (If the application site was on the edge of, or near to a village, it would be difficult to establish that no alternative existed). This policy is primarily aimed at the more remote areas of the Borough, away from villages.

b) The need could not be adequately met by extending or altering an existing dwelling or by a suitable conversion scheme or by provision of a temporary mobile home.

3.157 - It will often be the case that an extension or the conversion of a traditional farm or other building, which already exists close by, will be more acceptable in planning terms than the construction of a new dwelling.

IS THE PROPOSED SITE SUITABLE?

3.158 - To be considered suitable a site must satisfy the following criteria :     

a. It must be an infill site in an extensively developed frontage, or in the case of a small settlement which is dispersed in layout, a site which integrates well with the form of the settlement. In the case of employment-related needs, the proposed site must be immediately adjacent to the business.

b. The development is appropriate to the scale and character of the existing built environment and is visually unobtrusive. It is envisaged that a very high standard of design and materials will be necessary in this type of location.

c. The development can be easily and satisfactorily serviced and places no undue burden on existing services.

Policy H20: Agricultural Or Forest Workers' Dwellings
Back To Section 4: Housing Development Outside Settlements
Back To Local Plan 1996-2006