Supplementary Planning Document Mole Valley Local Development Framework Larger Rural Villages Character Appraisal SPD July 2013 This document can be made available in large print, on audio cassette, in Braille and in other languages Contents 1 Introduction 1 2 Policy Context 3 2.1 National Guidance 3 2.2 Local Policy Context 3 3 Using this SPD 5 4 Village Profile: Beare Green 10 4.1 Overview 10 4.2 Landscape Setting 10 4.3 Character Areas 11 5 Village Profile: Brockham 20 5.1 Overview 20 5.2 Landscape Setting 20 5.3 Character Areas 21 6 Village Profile: Capel 35 6.1 Overview 35 6.2 Landscape Setting 35 6.3 Character Areas 36 7 Village Profile: Charlwood 44 7.1 Overview 44 7.2 Landscape Setting 44 7.3 Character Areas 45 8 Village Profile: Hookwood 55 8.1 Overview 55 8.2 Landscape Setting 55 8.3 Character Area 56 9 Village Profile: Westcott 61 9.1 Overview 61 9.2 Landscape Setting 62 9.3 Character Areas 62 Mole Valley Local Development Framework Larger Rural Villages Character Appraisals SPD Contents Mole Valley Local Development Framework Larger Rural Villages Character Appraisals SPD 1 Introduction Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 This Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) provides a Character Appraisal of six villages in Mole Valley: Beare Green, Brockham, Capel, Charlwood, Hookwood and Westcott. These are known as "Larger Rural Villages" in the Core Strategy of the Mole Valley Local Development Framework. Core Strategy(1) Policy CS1 identifies them as locations which are capable of absorbing limited development (including redevelopment) and infilling on previously developed land. 1.2 The environmental quality of Mole Valley is highly valued, both by local people and by visitors. There is wide diversity in character across the District, from picturesque villages to tight knit, historic town centres and leafy suburban areas. There are several Conservation Areas, but also many other areas where towns and villages have their own, distinctive character. There are also areas where improvements could be made. 1.3 Protection of the distinctive character of the District is a recurring theme in the Core Strategy. The purpose of this Character Appraisal is to identify the key characteristics of the six Larger Rural Villages. It contains a Village Profile for each settlement, highlighting features that should be respected and preserved, describing the landscape setting of the village and indicating opportunities for enhancement and vulnerability to change. Methodology 1.4 'Character' can be defined as a distinct, recognisable and consistent pattern of elements that make each locality distinctive. Character is influenced by particular combinations of visual, ecological, historical, built components and other intangible aspects. The character of an area and its surroundings plays an important role in the fundamental quality of life. 1.5 The Larger Rural Villages Character Appraisal has been prepared in-house, utilising the local knowledge of Officers and Members, supplemented by site visits, aerial photography and published material relating to local history and village character. 1.6 Based on this information, a number of Character Areas have been identified within each village, the boundaries of which are shown on maps included in each Village Profile. It is emphasised that, in many cases, there is a gradual transition from one Character Area to another. Where a site lies close to a boundary it may have Picture 1.1 Middle Street and Brockham characteristics of both areas. The material in this SPD is a starting Church point, and should not be regarded not a substitute for site-specific analysis of character, where a specific site is under consideration. 1.7 The Council recognises that certain areas are more obviously of special character than others - notably those areas which are already designated as Conservation Areas or within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. However, each village has its own mosaic of different building forms, open spaces and street patterns, which combine to create its distinctive character. Each area has its own particular character, which should be understood in order to safeguard the quality of the whole. 1 The Core Strategy is a document prepared by the Council that sets out its strategic planning policies for the use and development of land. Mole Valley Local Development Framework Larger Rural Villages Character Appraisals SPD 2 Introduction Purpose and Scope 1.8 Each of the six Larger Rural Villages includes an area which is excluded from the Green Belt, the boundary of which is indicated on the maps in this SPD and can also be viewed on Mole Valley's Interactive Proposals Map, available at www.molevalley.gov.uk/ldf. 1.9 The village boundary identifies an area within which a limited amount of infilling and residential development is anticipated to take place during the period of the Core Strategy (Core Strategy Policy CS2). In some cases, the Village Profiles in this SPD also cover parts of the village which are outside the defined village boundary, within the Green Belt. This is in order to offer a more complete analysis of the character of the whole village. These areas remain subject to Green Belt policy as defined in the Core Strategy, which states that any future review of the village boundaries will be a matter for the Land Allocations DPD. Inclusion of Green Belt land in the area covered by this SPD does not imply any change to the village boundary as currently defined. 1.10 The information in this SPD will inform the identification of sites for development. It will also be a material consideration in determining planning applications, to ensure that the local distinctiveness of each village is recognised and reflected in development proposals. 1.11 The SPD will also be available as a resource for others, including prospective developers, local amenity bodies, Parish Councils and Neighbourhood Forums. It will provide a tool for neighbourhood planning, as well as for the preparation and consideration of new development proposals. 1.12 There are several smaller villages within the District which are outside the scope of this SPD. Their characteristics are highlighted in the "Settlement Character and Setting" sections of the Landscape SPD, April 2013. The character of the larger built up areas is analysed in the Built Up Areas Character Appraisals for Ashtead, Bookham and Fetcham, Dorking, Pixham. These were adopted as Supplementary Planning Documents in February 2010 and can be found on the LDF pages of Mole Valley's website at www.molevalley.gov.uk/ldf. 1.13 Taken together, the Built Up Areas and Larger Villages Character Appraisals and the Landscape SPD will provide a suite of documents to support analysis of landscape and townscape character throughout the District. Mole Valley Local Development Framework Larger Rural Villages Character Appraisals SPD 3 Policy Context Chapter 2 Policy Context 2.1 National Guidance 2.1 Good design is at the core of national planning policy. Under the heading "Requiring Good Design" the National Planning Policy Framework asserts that "The Government attaches great importance to the design of the built environment. Good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, is indivisible from good planning, and should contribute positively to making places better for people." (NPPF para 56) 2.2 The guidance goes on to place the concept of “good design” in the context of an understanding of the existing character and appearance of the locality in which new development takes place. Paragraph 58 states that planning policies should ensure that developments "respond to local character and history, and reflect the identity of local surrounding materials, while not preventing or discouraging appropriate innovation". 2.3 In order to strike the right balance between preservation and innovation, it is first necessary to have an understanding of the features which give each area its own individual character. That will form a baseline against which to assess which characteristics are so important that they should be preserved, and conversely where there is scope for character to evolve through the development process. 2.4 This series of Character Appraisals express the Council’s understanding of the distinctive characteristics of each of the larger rural villages, taking into account the views of local residents and other interested bodies, in order to provide that baseline. 2.2 Local Policy Context 2.5 The need to balance new development against its impact on the character of the built environment is at the heart of Mole Valley’s Core Strategy. The Council's spatial vision for Mole Valley, as set out in the Core Strategy 2006-2026, is as follows: "Mole Valley will make provision for its share of the Region's growth of homes and jobs and provide for the needs of its communities but in a way that is sustainable, minimises significant harmful change to its distinctive character, environment and feel, and mitigates its impact on the causes of climate change. The District's natural, built and historic environment will be safeguarded and enhanced and communities will have safe, convenient and sustainable access to the services and facilities they require." 2.6 The high priority placed on protecting character is reflected in Goal 1 of the Core Strategy, which is: "To safeguard and enhance the highly attractive and diverse natural, built and historic environment of the District." 2.7 This applies most especially to areas covered by specific policy designations, but the Core Strategy goes on to highlight that all areas have their own distinctive character, which needs to be understood in order to be safeguarded and/or enhanced. The Strategic Objectives to achieve Goal 1 include To safeguard and enhance the built and historic environment of the District, including the many listed buildings, conservation areas, archaeological sites and historic landscapes / parks and gardens and the overall distinctive character of Mole Valley's towns and villages.