A Vision for Woodbury Parish
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A Vision for Woodbury Parish The aim of this Woodbury Parish Neighbourhood Plan (the Plan) is to set out policies for the Parish up to the year 2031. The Plan will ensure our parish develops in a way that is sustainable economically, socially and environmentally, and that all our parishioners enjoy living here and share a strong sense of community. Whilst the Local Plan covers the whole of East Devon, our Neighbourhood Plan is focused on the needs of Woodbury Parish and allows the local community to specify in more detail what they expect from development. For example, it contains more detail on things like village design and shaping future development in our area. The Plan also guides the provision of infrastructure, for example, setting out priorities for new development such as improving streets, public spaces, and pedestrian links. This will inform subsequent negotiations between East Devon District Council and all developers. Once approved (‘Made’) our plan will have legal (Statutory) status and every planning application will be examined for compliance with our stated wishes. Woodbury Parish is a thriving community of mixed occupations and aspirations. The village is also within Exeter’s designated Area of Economic activity, with a large Business Park situated on its northern boundary, and the fact that the village is also situated within close proximity to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Jurassic Coast makes this a much sought-after location. As a primary objective, any future development, whether business or residential, should be measured incrementally against the improvements in infrastructure identified herein, with particular care to ensure its essentially rural traditions are not violated and commercial activities are compatible with the wider interests of the community as a whole. Buildings of whatever purpose should be architecturally designed sympathetically to conform to style and standards in keeping with the distinct character of the villages. The Village Design Statement still provides a very useful guide in this respect. The necessary improvements in infrastructure we recommend will help preserve the integrity of both the built and natural environment, thereby stimulating the opportunities to enhance the quality of life and strengthen the necessary conditions for a viably sustainable mixed community for the future. Those aspects of the natural and human environment which are statutorily designated, such as Areas Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and trees subject to Tree Preservation Orders should be managed via national planning policy (the National Planning Policy Framework and its accompanying guidance) and local plan policy and practice of the East Devon District Council Local Plan and as such there should not be a need to repeat this in the Plan. However, the Neighbourhood Plan does give the parish the opportunity to • reinforce protection and enhancement of such aspects at a local level, • take a holistic view of what is valued locally (rather than the disjointed approach that can result from applying separate planning policies and legislation to all the different aspects individually and at different times; everything sits within the same landscape and parish), and • identify aspects that are not nationally protected or designated, but which are locally important, and seek to protect and manage these through the Neighbourhood Plan. History (Is this title correct?It does not appear to reflect the content.) Woodbury Parish includes within its bounds three distinctive villages, Woodbury, Woodbury Salterton and Exton. The Parish is bordered on its western boundary by the River Exe and on its eastern boundary by the expanse of Woodbury Common, which rises to a height of 180m above sea level and is part of the local Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Southwards, the Parish extends towards Exmouth and in the north it is bounded by the A3052. Woodbury is the largest of the three villages and lies approximately in the centre of the Parish, at about 70m above sea level. Woodbury Salterton is a mile to the north and Exton a mile to the west. The Parish is well placed for communications to the rest of the country, being near to Junction 30 on the M5 and the branch line railway station at Exton. Exeter Airport is also within easy commuting distance. The resident population of the Parish totals some 3,046 people of which 2,053 live in Woodbury, 525 in Exton and 468 in Woodbury Salterton. We have the benefit of living in a parish with nearly a thousand years of history which, whilst originally based on a largely agrarian economy, has developed and evolved over the centuries into one of the largest parish communities within Devon. As the Woodbury Village Design Statement (2002) correctly records: “From salt marsh to heathland summit, few Parishes can share the variation of scenery, of elevation, aspect and ecology that is the intrinsic charm of Woodbury Parish's heritage”. It is of primary importance that the Parish apply the principles of sustainable development in the design of individual buildings. Jan 2018 Council draft 2 2 Housing and Development (No mention of Exton and Woodbury Salterton being unsustasinable per the Local Plan. Perhaps this should be there for clarity and showing that the Local Plan has been taken into consideration.) The planning objectives and policies in this section of the Plan seek to achieve a balance between sustainable development called for by planning policy and a community desire to protect and enhance the character and features of the Parish. It is recognised that the three settlements have historically grown in size but nevertheless any future growth has to be managed to take into account the expectations of the entire community. To this end the Parish Council will conduct a Housing Need Survey every five years and identify community led developments to meet local needs. The initial Housing Needs Survey will take place four years after the Plan has been “Made”. Any revision of the Plan will take place as deemed necessary by the Parish Council. The reasoning behind the five year cycle is that six affordable homes in Woodbury were delivered during the first quarter of 2018 which are owned by RentPlus and leased to Cornerstones, the registered Provider. Twenty five percent of these homes are required to be sold every five years under the terms of the lease. They were all subject to an S.106 Agreement on affordability. Strategies: • Unless the strategic land supply requires further development in rural areas of East Devon, no further developments shall be considered unless there is a proven benefit to the community. • To ensure any provision of sites for housing and other appropriate community facilities meet local needs. This will include sufficient levels of social and affordable housing including the support of local businesses and general economic activity. • To encourage high design quality that conforms to ‘The Woodbury Village Design Statement’. To encourage development at sustainable and accessible locations which have due regard to considerations of public transport and reduced dependency on car use whilst also recognising the importance of disabled access. • To require that future development has an environmental benefit for the Parish and this can be demonstrated. • To recognize and protect the wealth of local open spaces, in particular Woodbury Common. Jan 2018 Council draft 2 3 • To ensure the planning and development of social , education and health facilities provide for the local population Objectives: In general, the following principles will apply to developments: • Be in keeping with the local area by being of an appropriate scale and mass, height, size, layout, density, through the use of locally appropriate materials. • Not adversely impacting on the amenity of neighbouring properties. • Include appropriate landscaping which compliments and enhances the character of the area. • Take into account any impact on the open and green spaces and its contribution to the overall character of the local area. • Consider views to and from settlements, heathland and the coast. • Respect the qualities of the plan area including scale and use of space between buildings and structures. • Respond positively to the density, footprint, build form, orientation and height. • Recognise the importance that windows, roofs, detailing, the palette and use of traditional materials and techniques make to local distinctiveness. • Encourage the re-instatement of architectural detail. • Changes to commercial properties should reflect the design characteristics and heritage of the Parish. • Provision of properties appropriate for an aging population. • Development outside of the Built Up Area Boundary (BUAB) will not be acceptable. The exception is where a specific site may be designated for future development in subsequent future revisions of the Plan. • Any new developments shall be designed to facilitate integration into the existing community. If feasible, the access should be directed towards the centre of the village and its community. Jan 2018 Council draft 2 4 Policy 1 The building of new residential property within the curtilage of an existing residential property, whereby the garden area of the existing property is reduced by more than 50%, shall not be permitted. Policy 2 Housing development proposals for multiple dwellings shall provide a mix of sizes and types which