Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Site Assessment Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Site Assessment Report September 2017 AONB Site Assessment Report .................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Background and Summary............................................................................................................................ 1 Consultation and joint working .................................................................................................................. 1 2 Legal and Policy Context ................................................................................................................. 2 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty ....................................................................................................... 2 The Chilterns AONB ......................................................................................................................................... 2 The National Planning Policy Framework .............................................................................................. 4 Implications for Wycombe District ........................................................................................................... 7 3 Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 10 4 Stage 1 – Findings on Broad Location ......................................................................................... 13 5 Stokenchurch Findings .................................................................................................................. 14 Identification of candidate sites at Stokenchurch for assessment ............................................ 14 Stage 2 - Initial Suitability Assessments – Stokenchurch .............................................................. 16 Stage 3 - Specialist Landscape Assessments - Stokenchurch ...................................................... 19 Stokenchurch Landscape Overview ....................................................................................................... 19 Individual Site Landscape Capacity Assessments ............................................................................ 21 Conclusions to Stage 3 Specialist Landscape Assessments .......................................................... 45 Stage 4: Assessment of Major Development Criteria – Stokenchurch ..................................... 47 Overall conclusions and recommendations – Stokenchurch ....................................................... 51 6 Lane End Findings .......................................................................................................................... 52 Identification of candidate sites at Lane End ..................................................................................... 52 Stage 2: Initial Suitability Assessments – Lane End ........................................................................ 54 Stage 3 - Specialist Landscape Assessments – Lane End ............................................................... 57 Lane End Landscape Overview: ............................................................................................................... 57 Individual Site Landscape Capacity Assessments ............................................................................ 59 Conclusions to Stage 3 Specialist Landscape Assessments .......................................................... 72 Stage 4: Assessment of Major Development Criteria – Lane End .............................................. 73 Overall conclusions and recommendations – Lane End ................................................................ 77 7 Around High Wycombe, Marlow and Princes Risborough .......................................................... 78 Scope and Method ......................................................................................................................................... 78 Stage 4: Assessment of Major Development Criteria High Wycombe, Marlow and Princes Risborough ....................................................................................................................................................... 79 Stage 3+ Specialist Landscape Capacity Assessments – Green Belt sites ............................... 91 Conclusions and Recommendations (Green Belt Sites) ............................................................... 117 8 Overall Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................................. 118 AONB Site Assessment Report List of Appendices Appendix 1 Stage 2 Suitability Site Pro Formas Appendix 2 Stage 2 Suitability Criteria Appendix 3 Stage 3 Landscape Methodology 1 Introduction Background and Summary 1.1 This assessment has been undertaken in the context of preparing a new Local Plan for the District, where work on assessing the Objectively Assessed Needs for housing and economic development, and sites to meet these needs, have identified an insufficient supply of sites to meet the full OAN. In response to this the Council is required to assess whether there are opportunities to meet housing and economic development needs that should be identified in the Local Plan within the Chiltern’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). 1.2 For context, the final HEDNA1 identifies the FOAN for WDC as 13,200. Work on the emerging HELAA suggests a total supply of 10,610 with no AONB allocations, or 10,927 with AONB allocations, but without any allocations that would amount to major development in the AONB. 1.3 This report addresses the scope for development allocations in the AONB. The two main conclusions of the report are that: In our local context, allocations that would be likely to result in major development in the AONB would be contrary to the NPPF, and should not be included in the new local plan. There is scope for meaningful small scale growth around the main non-Green Belt settlements in the AONB – Lane End and Stokenchurch, and in the AONB on the fringes of High Wycombe, Marlow and Princes Risborough. Consultation and joint working 1.4 Following consultation on the draft report in July 2016 the Council has continued to work closely with neighbouring authorities, the Chilterns Conservation Board, and Natural England. Consequently the scope of this report has broadened to include more detail on: Sites in the AONB located around the edge of High Wycombe (which feature in the Part 2 Green Belt Assessment) The rationale for discounting ‘major development’ in the AONB 1 Buckinghamshire Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment Update (December 2016, Opinion Research Services and Atkins) 1 AONB Site Assessment Report The approach to assessing whether possible allocations are likely to result in ‘major development’ in the AONB 1.5 The authors of this report have also had regard to the public consultation feedback received in response to the draft New Local Plan. A summary report of this feedback will be published separately. 2 Legal and Policy Context Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty 2.1 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are designated by the Government for the purpose of ensuring that the special qualities of the finest landscapes are conserved and enhanced. In policy terms they have the same planning status as National Parks. They were originally established under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, though the legislation was reformulated in 2000 through the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. There is a general duty on all relevant authorities to have regard to the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of AONBs. 2.2 This ‘duty of regard’ recognises that a wide range of bodies have a direct influence over the future of these protected landscapes. Wycombe District Council and the Chilterns Conservation Board (CCB) have a statutory duty for managing the Chilterns. The objectives of the CCB are to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the AONB; increase the understanding and enjoyment of the AONB and seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities within the AONB. 2.3 The requirement to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the AONB is also identified in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, section 92. This includes the conservation of its flora, fauna and geological physical features, as part of its natural beauty. The Chilterns AONB 2.4 In 1965 an area of 800 square kilometres of the Chilterns Hills was designated as an AONB. (This was increased to 833 km2 in 1990 following a boundary review.) The Chilterns Conservation Board (CCB) was established in 2004. The CCB’s most recent Management Plan (MP) covers the period 2014 – 2019.2 The MP provides a comprehensive picture of the special qualities and 2http://www.chilternsaonb.org/uploads/files/ConservationBoard/ManagementPlan/Management%20Plan%2 02014-19/chilterns_management_plan_2014-19_final.pdf AONB Site Assessment Report characteristics of the Chilterns (pages 18 to 20) and the key issues affecting the Chilterns (pages 20 to 24). 2.5 The MP also contains a number of policies that are relevant to considering new development. These objectives are also relevant to possible plan allocations in the AONB.