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Proposed Submission Local Plan 2006-2028

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Proposed Submission Local Plan 2006-2028 South Somerset District Council Proposed Submission South Somerset Local Plan 2006 - 2028 June 2012 South Somerset District Council Proposed Submission Local Plan South Somerset District Council Proposed Submission Local Plan 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 way 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 Ministerial foreword to the National Planning Policy Framework states that Sustainable means “better lives for ourselves does not mean worse lives for future generations”. This Plan seeks to endorse that statement for South Somerset. Ric Pallister Leader of the Council South Somerset District Council Proposed Submission Local Plan This page is left blank intentionally. South Somerset District Council Proposed Submission Local Plan Table of Contents 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................1 What is the Local Plan? .......................................................................1 Purpose of the Local Plan ...................................................................1 Stages so far .......................................................................................2 Sustainable Development ...................................................................4 Habitat Regulation Assessment ..........................................................6 Evidence Base ....................................................................................6 Policy Context .....................................................................................6 National Context ..................................................................................8 Regional Context .................................................................................9 South Somerset Context .....................................................................9 Next Steps .........................................................................................10 2 Spatial Portrait of South Somerset .............................................................12 Economic Prosperity .........................................................................12 Rural Employment .............................................................................14 Housing .............................................................................................14 Transport and Accessibility ...............................................................15 Health and Well Being .......................................................................16 Environmental Quality .......................................................................16 Historic Environment .........................................................................17 3 Strategic Objectives and Vision ..................................................................18 Strategic Objectives ..........................................................................18 The Vision for 2028 ...........................................................................19 4 Settlement Strategy ....................................................................................22 Settlement Hierarchy .........................................................................22 Scale of Growth for the District and the Main Settlements ................34 Distribution of Housing Growth ..........................................................47 Infrastructure Delivery .......................................................................56 Phasing of Development ...................................................................60 5 Yeovil - Vision and Proposals .....................................................................62 Spatial Portrait ...................................................................................62 Local Aspirations - the 'Yeovil Vision' ................................................64 What should the Local Plan deliver? .................................................66 6 Market Towns - Vision and Proposals ........................................................87 Primary Market Towns - Chard ..........................................................88 Primary Market Towns - Crewkerne ..................................................99 Primary Market Towns - Ilminster ....................................................103 Primary Market Towns - Wincanton ................................................107 Local Market Towns - Ansford/Castle Cary .....................................112 South Somerset District Council Proposed Submission Local Plan Local Market Towns - Langport/Huish Episcopi ..............................116 Local Market Towns - Somerton .....................................................121 7 Rural Centres - Vision and Proposals ......................................................125 Bruton ..............................................................................................125 Ilchester ...........................................................................................128 Martock/Bower Hinton .....................................................................131 Milborne Port ...................................................................................134 South Petherton ..............................................................................137 Stoke sub Hamdon ..........................................................................139 8 Economic Prosperity ................................................................................142 Job Growth and Employment Land Requirements ..........................143 Offices .............................................................................................145 Safeguarding Employment Land .....................................................147 Delivering Employment Land in the Countryside ............................149 Communications Infrastructure .......................................................156 Tourism ............................................................................................157 Town Centre Uses ...........................................................................159 Protection and Provision of Local Shops, Community Facilities and Services ...........................................................................................170 9 Housing ....................................................................................................173 Strategic Housing Market Assessment ...........................................173 Previously Developed Land Target .................................................175 Affordable Housing ..........................................................................177 Market Housing ...............................................................................182 Lifetime Homes, Care Homes and Specialist Accommodation .......184 Park Homes .....................................................................................185 Empty Properties .............................................................................186 Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople .............................186 Replacement dwellings and extensions in the countryside .............188 Agricultural, forestry and other occupational dwellings in the countryside ......................................................................................189 10 Transport and Accessibility ....................................................................192 A Generic District wide Modal Shift Policy ......................................193 Travel Plans .....................................................................................202 Transport Impacts of Development .................................................206 Parking Standards ...........................................................................208 11 Health and Well Being ............................................................................210 Provision of Open Space, Outdoor Playing Space and Sports, Cultural and Community Facilities in New Development ..............................211 Sports Zone .....................................................................................214 Existing Outdoor Sports, Play and Youth Provision ........................216 12 Environmental Quality ............................................................................218
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