SOUTH SOMERSET LOCAL PLAN (2006 – 2028) ADOPTED MARCH 2015 Foreword This Local Plan is designed to provide the vision and framework that will shape the future of South Somerset for decades to come. Despite having a focus on the period between now and 2028 it tries to place the need to accommodate growth within the wider context of how we want the District to look and feel as a place to live in 100 years from now and beyond. Bygone eras, particularly the Victorians, designed, laid out and built in a way that would endure and form the base of what today we value as the feel and look of South Somerset. It is the core of our Hamstone villages and our distinctive Market towns that still represent the best of the built form of this District. In the last 80 years we have not always done so well and demolition has often been the only answer. We need to and can do better despite difficult economic times and the starting point has to be a sound Local Plan that is visionary but based on realism. Within the bounds of what is reasonable and realistic we should not settle for second best. Competing demands in relation to our Health, Homes, Jobs and the Environment all have to be balanced and at times there will be conflict as we try to ensure that we meet need in a way that is fair and broadly equitable to all our society, not just selected groups. The National Planning Policy Framework states that delivering sustainable development means achieving “better lives for ourselves that does not mean worse lives for future generations”. This Local Plan seeks to endorse that statement for South Somerset. Ric Pallister Leader of the Council i Table of Contents CHAPTER PAGE 1 Introduction 1 2 Spatial Portrait of South Somerset 7 3 Strategic Objectives and Vision 14 4 Delivering Sustainable Development 17 5 Settlement Strategy 19 6 Yeovil 49 7 Market Towns 66 8 Rural Centres 104 9 Economic Prosperity 123 10 Housing 150 11 Transport and Accessibility 167 12 Health and Well Being 184 13 Environmental Quality 191 14 Implementation and Monitoring 212 MAPS AND APPENDICES PAGE Policies Map and Inset Maps 215 Appendices 217 ii Table of Policies POLICY PAGE SD1 Sustainable Development 18 SS1 Settlement Strategy 21 SS2 Development in Rural Settlements 26 SS3 Delivering New Employment Land 35 / 36 SS4 District Wide Housing Provision 38 SS5 Delivering New Housing Growth 41 / 42 SS6 Infrastructure Delivery 45 SS7 Phasing of Previously Developed Land 48 YV1 Urban Framework and Greenfield Housing for Yeovil 53 YV2 Yeovil Sustainable Urban Extensions 58 YV3 Yeovil Summerhouse Village 59 YV4 Yeovil Air Flight Safety Zone 61 Delivering Sustainable Travel at the Yeovil Sustainable Urban YV5 Extensions 64 PMT1 Chard Strategic Growth Area 72 PMT2 Chard Phasing 76 PMT3 Ilminster Direction of Growth 85 PMT4 Wincanton Direction of Growth 90 LMT1 Ansford / Castle Cary Direction of Growth 95 LMT2 Langport / Huish Episcopi Direction of Growth 99 LMT3 Somerton Direction of Growth 103 EP1 Strategic Employment Sites 125 EP2 Office Development 127 EP3 Safeguarding Employment Land 129 EP4 Expansion of Existing Businesses in the Countryside 131 EP5 Farm Diversification 133 EP6 Henstridge Airfield 134 EP7 New Build live / Work Units 135 EP8 New and Enhanced Tourist Facilities 137 EP9 Retail Hierarchy 139 EP10 Convenience and Comparison Shopping in Yeovil 140 Location of Main Town Centre Uses (The Sequential EP11 Approach) 142 EP12 Floorspace Threshold for Impact Assessments 144 EP13 Protection of Retail Frontages 146 EP14 Neighbourhood Centres 147 Protection and Provision of Local Shops, Community Facilities EP15 and Services 149 HG1 Strategic Housing Site 151 The Use of Previously Developed Land (PDL) for New Housing HG2 Development 153 HG3 Provision of Affordable Housing 156 HG4 Provision of Affordable Housing – Sites of 1-5 Dwellings 156 HG5 Achieving a Mix of Market Housing 159 iii HG6 Care Homes and Specialist Accommodation 160 HG7 Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople 162 HG8 Replacement Dwellings in the Countryside 163 HG9 Housing for Agricultural and Related Workers 165 HG10 Removal of Agricultural and Other Occupancy Conditions 166 TA1 Low Carbon Travel 170 TA2 Rail 172 TA3 Sustainable Travel at Chard and Yeovil 175 TA4 Travel Plans 178 / 179 TA5 Transport Impact of New Development 181 TA6 Parking Standards 182 Provision of Open Space, Outdoor Playing Space, Sports, HW1 Cultural and Community Facilities in New Development 187 HW2 Sports Zone 189 HW3 Protection of Play Spaces and Youth Provision 190 EQ1 Addressing Climate Change in South Somerset 196 EQ2 General Development 200 EQ3 Historic Environment 202 EQ4 Biodiversity 204 EQ5 Green Infrastructure 206 EQ6 Woodland and Forests 208 EQ7 Pollution Control 210 EQ8 Equine Development 211 iv Table of Maps MAPS PAGE Overview 215 Policies Map & Map Key Policies Map Map Key Area Maps N01 Area North 01 N02 Area North 02 S01 Area South 01 E01 Area East 01 E02 Area East 02 W01 Area West 01 W02 Area West 02 Inset Maps 1 Ansford / Castle Cary 2 Bruton 3 Chard 3a Chard Town Centre 4 Crewkerne 4a Crewkerne Town Centre 5 Henstridge 6 Ilchester 7 Ilminster 7a Ilminster Town Centre 8 Langport and Huish Episcopi 9 Martock 10 Milborne Port 11 Somerton 12 South Petherton 13 Stoke Sub Hamdon 14 Wincanton 15 Yeovil 15a Yeovil Town Centre Appendices APPENDICES PAGE Appendix One Evidence Base 217 Appendix Two Saved Policies 224 Appendix Three Glossary of Terms 248 Appendix Four Noise Exposure Maps 256 v 1. Introduction What Is The Local Plan? 1.1 The South Somerset Local Plan (2006 – 2028) is a collection of policies which set out the long term vision and strategic context for managing and accommodating growth within South Somerset up to 2028. 1.2 The local plan represents a shift from the previous, rigid approach to development control in South Somerset. Instead it takes a more spatial approach to shaping the future of the district, responding to specific needs and delivering sustainable development that creates positive outcomes for people and places. 1.3 The local plan is a statutory, legal document with a status that is confirmed in planning law1. It forms part of the ‘development plan’ for South Somerset2 and the policies provide a framework against which decisions on the future of the area will be taken. The policies in this local plan replace those previously set out in the South Somerset Local Plan (1991 – 2011), save for those outlined in Appendix 2. 1.4 A major part of the local plan is the identification of broad locations for employment and housing growth and accompanying policies for assessing development proposals. All policies include accompanying text, setting out the reason and need for the policy, and how the policy will be delivered and monitored where appropriate. It is important that the local plan be read as a whole. District-wide policies and policies for settlements, for example, elaborate on and add to the overall spatial strategy. 1.5 A Proposals Map is published alongside the local plan. It identifies the spatial proposals of the plan, with inset maps showing greater detail for individual settlements. How Has The Council Prepared The Local Plan? 1.6 As required, the South Somerset Local Plan (2006 – 2028) takes account of the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)3 and the National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG)4. 1.7 A Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of the local plan has been undertaken, as required by Section 29(2) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. This incorporates a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as required by the SEA Directive5. The SA Report has been published alongside the local plan and assesses the policies against sustainability criteria, which were created in light of the objectives in the South Somerset Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS)6. The local plan has been shaped by the SA, which outlines the reasons for selecting 1 Formal, legal status is given through Section 38 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended), and Section 70 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). 2 Which can include other formally adopted development plan documents, such as a Site Allocation development plan document, and neighbourhood plans. 3 National Planning Policy Framework (March 2012). https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/6077/2116950.pdf 4 National Planning Practice Guidance (March 2014). http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/ 5 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004: European Directive 2001/42/EC “on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment” – the SEA Directive. 6 Shaping South Somerset A Strategy for Sustainable Communities (2008-2026) 1 proposals from potential alternatives and the measures needed to prevent, reduce and offset any significant effects of implementing the local plan. 1.8 Similarly, the local plan has been subject to a Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) as required by the European Directive and Habitats Regulations7. Due to the potential impacts on the Somerset Levels and Moors Special Protection Area (SPA), a Ramsar site8, and Brackett’s Copse Special Area of Conservation (SAC) an Appropriate Assessment, which forms stage 2 of the HRA, has also been produced. This is published as separate report, alongside the local plan9. 1.9 Throughout each stage of its preparation the local plan has been reviewed and signed off by the Council’s internal Project Management Board, the District Executive Committee and Full Council. 1.10 In the future, the local plan will be supported by additional documents, such as the Site Allocations Development Plan Document, Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule, and Neighbourhood Plans.