Agenda item

This report considers the settlement hierarchy in the emerging Local Plan in relation to Upottery and Woodbury Salterton.

The Committee were asked to consider a report on the settlement hierarchy in the emerging Local Plan in relation to Upottery and Woodbury Salterton.  The settlements have several facilities and services as well as a relatively high employment density, but are missing a shop, which makes them less sustainable places to live and to locate new development.

The Committee had previously resolved in February 2022 to review settlements in order to include more within Tier Four of the settlement hierarchy, Members resolved that they wished to include more settlements within Tier Four of the settlement hierarchy.  The report set out that previous review, with the conclusion by the Committee on 8 March 2022 that no further settlements should be added to Tier Four.

The Committee were reminded that the exclusion from Tier Four does not preclude development at Upottery and Woodbury Salterton. A modest level of growth can come forward through community-led development in a neighbourhood plan or as a rural exception site and other means, where justified.

Making changes to the settlement hierarchy at this late stage will also delay preparation of the Regulation 19 Publication Draft Local Plan, with the implications set out in the report.

Cllr Jung spoke as Ward Member before leaving the meeting for the duration of the debate and vote.  He re-iterated the earlier decisions made by the Committee on the settlement hierarchy for these two settlements, and raised his concerns on the delays that changing the decision could bring about. He explained the involvement of the Parish Council on finding suitable sites for housing allocation historically, and some sites that already had outline planning permission.  He supported the position proposed in the report.

Questions from the Committee were answered, confirming that broadband speed was considered as a factor in assessment, and that a pragmatic approach was taken in considering the walking distance to services both in terms of distance, ease and practicality.  It was difficult to be precise on the amount of time that would be needed to review the settlements, due to the additional work required and the still unknown content of the new NPPF that was yet to be published.

Debate covered:

·       Comparison of previous decision by Planning Inspector on an application in Rawridge to the proposal of retaining the two areas in the report at their current status.  The Assistant Director responded after checking that decision quoted from a committee member that the main reason for the decision related to bringing the building back into use, which was more sustainable than a complete new build;

·       Current policy should take account of the changed shopping habits, particularly after the pandemic, that many rural areas made use of via delivery methods rather than leaving their homes to shop.  Upottery also had the neighbouring community larder at Churchinford;

·       Shopping was only one of many elements considered during assessment for the sustainability of a site or community.  Other options were open to local communities to pursue for growth of their area, such as Neighbourhood Plan, exception site planning application, community land trust, and local development orders;

·       Weighing up what may be possible for residents in both working from home and deliveries against the merits of leaving their homes for those and other reasons, using sustainable means of transport such as walking or cycling.  Traffic levels were clearly still hugely impacted by both commuting to work or school drop off journeys;

·       Large costs and resources for local communities to pursue other growth options such as creating a Neighbourhood Plan. In response, the Committee were informed that grants were available to assist local communities, and the planning service itself also assisted where possible;

·       Risk in reviewing these two communities would also be, to be consistent across the Plan, that other communities would also require review.

The recommendation in the report was proposed by Cllr Howe, seconded by Cllr Davey.

RESOLVED that Upottery and Woodbury Salterton continue to not be designated as service villages (Tier 4) within the settlement hierarchy in the publication draft Local Plan.