Harborough Local Plan Proposed Submission - September 2017 (Final Consultation Version - LOCKED) . Harborough Local Plan 2011 - 2031 Proposed Submission Page 2 Table of Contents How to comment on this Document.................................................................................... 1 Part A Strategy and General Policies ................................................................................. 5 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 What is the Local Plan? ............................................................................................................. 5 1.2 How has the Local Plan been prepared?................................................................................... 6 1.3 What area does the Local Plan cover?...................................................................................... 6 1.4 How does Harborough relate to neighbouring places?.............................................................. 8 1.5 The Duty to Cooperate .............................................................................................................. 9 1.6 Neighbourhood planning.......................................................................................................... 10 1.7 Supplementary Planning Documents....................................................................................... 11 1.8 Structure of the document ....................................................................................................... 12 2 Vision and objectives ....................................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Local Plan vision...................................................................................................................... 13 2.2 Key Issues ............................................................................................................................... 14 2.3 Local Plan objectives ............................................................................................................... 17 3 Sustainable settlements................................................................................................................... 20 SS1 The spatial strategy................................................................................................................ 20 4 General development policies.......................................................................................................... 29 GD1 Achieving sustainable development ...................................................................................... 29 GD2 Settlement development........................................................................................................ 31 GD3 Development in the countryside ............................................................................................ 34 GD4 New housing in the countryside ............................................................................................ 36 GD5 Landscape and townscape character.................................................................................... 39 GD6 Areas of Separation............................................................................................................... 42 GD7 Green Wedges ...................................................................................................................... 44 GD8 Good design in development................................................................................................. 47 GD9 Minerals Safeguarding Areas ................................................................................................ 50 Part B Key Topics ............................................................................................................. 52 5 Housing............................................................................................................................................ 52 H1 Provision of new housing ......................................................................................................... 52 H2 Affordable housing ................................................................................................................... 58 H3 Rural exception sites................................................................................................................ 62 H4 Specialist housing .................................................................................................................... 65 H5 Housing density, mix and standards......................................................................................... 67 H6 Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation................................................. 70 6 Business and employment............................................................................................................... 75 BE1 Provision of new business development................................................................................ 75 BE2 Strategic distribution .............................................................................................................. 81 BE3 Existing employment areas.................................................................................................... 85 BE4 Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground ............................................................................................. 89 BE5 Leicester Airport, Stoughton................................................................................................... 92 7 Retail, town centres and tourism...................................................................................................... 94 RT1 Provision of new retail uses ................................................................................................... 94 RT2 Town and local centres........................................................................................................... 99 RT3 Shop fronts and advertisements .......................................................................................... 104 RT4 Tourism and leisure.............................................................................................................. 106 8 Heritage and community assets..................................................................................................... 110 HC1 Built heritage........................................................................................................................ 110 HC2 Community facilities............................................................................................................. 115 HC3 Public houses, post offices and village shops...................................................................... 117 9 Green infrastructure ....................................................................................................................... 119 GI1 Green infrastructure networks............................................................................................... 119 GI2 Open space, sport and recreation......................................................................................... 122 GI3 Cemeteries............................................................................................................................ 128 GI4 Local Green Space ............................................................................................................... 130 GI5 Biodiversity and geodiversity ................................................................................................ 132 10 Climate change............................................................................................................................ 135 CC1 Mitigating climate change .................................................................................................... 135 CC2 Renewable energy generation............................................................................................. 137 CC3 Managing flood risk ............................................................................................................. 140 CC4 Sustainable drainage........................................................................................................... 143 11 Infrastructure................................................................................................................................ 146 IN1 Infrastructure provision.......................................................................................................... 146 IN2 Sustainable transport ............................................................................................................ 151 IN3 Electronic connectivity........................................................................................................... 155 IN4 Water resources and services............................................................................................... 158 12 Implementation, monitoring and review ....................................................................................... 162 IMR1 Monitoring and review of the Local Plan ............................................................................ 162 Part C Places and Sites.................................................................................................. 166 13 Scraptoft, Thurnby and Bushby ..................................................................................................