OUR REF: 1839

DESIGN ACCESS AND PLANNING STATEMENT

NURSTEAD HILL FARM, NURSTEAD LANE,

Gravesham Borough Council

Graham Simpkin Planning, 2 The Parade, Ash Road Tel: 01474 703705 Hartley, Longfield, DA3 8BG Email: [email protected] Graham Simpkin Planning

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SITE CONTEXT

3. DESIGN

4. ACCESS

5. PLANNING CONTEXT

Gravesham Borough Council

File ref: 1839 Graham Simpkin Planning

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This Statement is prepared in support of an application for Planning Permission for the construction of a Sand School at Nurstead Hill Farm.

The farm is part of a holding extending to some 200 hectares and part of the land at Nurstead Hill has been used for equestrian purposes for many years as part of the diversification of this holding.

The objective of these proposals is to provide an all weather surface for exercising horses already kept at the site.

2.0 SITE CONTEXT

The site extending to 0.17 hectares is located just to the east of the complex of farm buildings and just to the south of an area that has been used as a caravan site by Members of the Caravan Club. The land to the east of the site has been used for grazing horses.

There are stables within the adjacent farmyard that have existed for many years and provide accommodation for the horses kept at the site.

Access to the site is from Nurstead Lane just to the north of the application site.

The land is located on the west side of a valley running broadly north-south towards Istead Rise and . The existing trees along the Nurstead Lane frontage generally screen the site from the public highway. There are no public footpaths within the farm and to the east, the nearest point at which the site can be seen is from Wrotham Road, approximately 1km to the east. It is therefore concluded that although the site is located on rising ground, it is not conspicuous from public vantage points within the surrounding landscape.

3.0 DESIGN

The proposal is to provide a facility for use by horses kept at the farm for exercise and training.

The size of the facility is 60m x 20m to allow for full competition dressage training to be undertaken at the site.

The school will be of traditionally construction comprising a sports sand laid over a sub-base of limestone or similar with a network of land drains underneath that will take surface water from the sand school to a nearby soak-away. The facility will be surrounded by a post and rail fence. Gravesham Borough Council In this location, it will appear as part of the wider landscape and it is not considered that it will provide a conspicuous feature and therefore there is no need for additional landscape planting.

File ref: 1839 Graham Simpkin Planning

4.0 ACCESS

Vehicular access to the site will remain unchanged with use of the existing entrance serving the site.

Access for horses will be by a gate located on the north side of the sand school and this will also allow access for riders on foot and machinery to maintain the school.

Horses kept at the farm can be led or ridden from the stables by the internal farm road so that they can access the school without the need to use the public highway.

5.0 PLANNING CONTEXT

The application site is located within the Green Belt and one of the purposes of it is to provide for the needs of open recreation for people living in surrounding urban areas. The proposals in this application are for an open use of land and accordingly it is considered that this development will preserve the openness of the Green Belt in accordance with Paragraph 90 of NPPF. This paragraph goes on to identify engineering operations as “not inappropriate” where they preserve the openness of the countryside and meet the purposes. It is therefore an entirely acceptable form of development within the Green Belt.

In terms of impact on the landscape, clearly, it maintains an open aspect and the only visual impact will be the fence surrounding the school which may be visible over long distances. As explained above, it is to be a post and rail fence that will not look out of place within the wider landscape. It is not therefore considered that it will harm the visual amenities of the landscape. It is noted that the site lies within a Special Landscape Area but it is not considered that this development will compromise the objectives of protecting areas of attractive and distinctive landscape.

The proposal will not give rise to any additional traffic movements because the horses are already kept at the site and by providing on-site exercise facilities, it will reduce the impact of the use on the adjacent road network because horses will not need to be exercised on the public highway. In respect of visitors to the farm for riding, this already takes place to exercise the horses and it is not anticipated that there will be any material change arising from these proposals.

The new facility is well separated from the nearest residential properties such that there is unlikely to be any disturbance or impact on their residential amenity.

It is therefore concluded that there is no conflict with the established planning policies operating within the area and accordingly, there is a presumption in favour of granting Planning Permission as set out in Government advice in NPPF.

For all theseGravesham reasons, the Council are respectfully Borough requested to grant Council Planning Permission for this development.

File ref: 1839