C O N T E N T S Chapter Page 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 2. Strategy..................................................................................................................... 5 Aims and Objectives ................................................................................................. 5 Strategy..................................................................................................................... 6 S1 General Requirements ................................................................................ 12 S2 Design ......................................................................................................... 15 S3 Mixed-use developments ............................................................................ 16 S4 Rural Centres .............................................................................................. 18 S5 Villages........................................................................................................ 18 S6 Cotford St Luke New Village ....................................................................... 19 S7 Outside Settlements .................................................................................... 19 S8 Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land................................................... 20 S9 Taunton Town Centre.................................................................................. 21 3. Housing ................................................................................................................... 22 Housing Requirement ............................................................................................. 22 H1 Phasing Strategy ......................................................................................... 26 H2 Housing within Classified Settlements......................................................... 27 H3 Residential Conversions in Town Centres................................................... 30 H4 Self-contained Accommodation................................................................... 30 H5 Non-self-contained Accommodation............................................................ 31 H6 Town Centre Housing.................................................................................. 32 H7 Conversion of Rural Buildings ..................................................................... 32 H8 Replacement Dwellings Outside Settlements.............................................. 33 H9 Affordable Housing within General Market Housing.................................... 36 H10 Affordable Housing Targets......................................................................... 36 H11 Rural Local Needs Housing......................................................................... 38 H12 Agricultural or Forestry Workers.................................................................. 39 H13 Agricultural or Forestry Workers.................................................................. 39 H14 Gypsy and Traveller Sites ........................................................................... 40 H15 Sites for Travelling Show People................................................................. 41 H16 Residential Care Homes ............................................................................. 42 H17 Extensions to Dwellings .............................................................................. 42 H18 Ancillary Accommodation ............................................................................ 42 H19 Designing Out Crime ................................................................................... 43 4. Economy ................................................................................................................. 44 Industry ................................................................................................................... 45 EC1 Employment Development .......................................................................... 46 EC2 Expansion of Existing Firms on Land Subject to Restrictive Policies.......... 47 EC3 Extension of Existing Employment Sites ..................................................... 47 EC4 Working from Home .................................................................................... 48 EC5 Disused Airfield, Culmhead ......................................................................... 48 EC6 Conversion of Rural Buildings ..................................................................... 49 EC7 Rural Employment Proposals...................................................................... 50 EC8 Farm Diversification..................................................................................... 51 EC9 Loss of Employment Land........................................................................... 51 (i) EC10 Accessibility of New Development .............................................................. 58 EC11 Local Service Provision ............................................................................... 59 EC12 Major Proposals for Retail Development..................................................... 61 EC13 Restrictions on Unit Size and Range of Goods Sold................................... 63 EC14 Modernisation of Floorspace ....................................................................... 64 EC15 Associated Settlements/Rural Centres/Villages .......................................... 64 EC16 New and Altered Shop Fronts ..................................................................... 66 EC17 Shop Front Security..................................................................................... 66 EC18 Upper Floors of Shops ............................................................................... 67 EC19 Farm Shops................................................................................................. 67 EC20 Garden Centres........................................................................................... 68 EC21 Tourist and Recreational Development ....................................................... 69 EC22 Land West of Bishops Lydeard Station ....................................................... 70 EC23 Tourist Accommodation............................................................................... 71 EC24 Caravans and Holiday Chalets.................................................................... 71 EC25 Touring Caravans and Camping Sites ........................................................ 72 EC26 Outdoor Advertisements and Signs............................................................. 72 5. Movement ............................................................................................................... 74 M1 Non-residential Developments .................................................................... 75 M2 Non-residential Car Parking Outside Taunton and Wellington.................... 75 M3 Non-residential Development and Transport Provision............................... 76 M4 Residential Parking Provision...................................................................... 80 M5 Cycling......................................................................................................... 81 M6 Traffic Calming ............................................................................................ 82 6. Community .............................................................................................................. 83 C1 Education Provision for New Housing ......................................................... 83 C2 Reserved School Sites ................................................................................ 85 C3 Protection of Recreational Open Space ...................................................... 85 C4 Standards of Provision of Recreational Open Space .................................. 86 C5 Sports Centres ............................................................................................ 90 C6 Public Rights of Way ................................................................................... 91 C7 Blackdown Hills Ridge Route ...................................................................... 91 C8 Development Affecting Disused Railway Tracks and Canals...................... 92 C9 Horse Riding and Riding Establishments .................................................... 92 C10 Golf.............................................................................................................. 92 C11 Power Lines................................................................................................. 93 C12 Renewable Energy ...................................................................................... 94 C13 Wind Turbines ............................................................................................. 94 C14 Large Telecommunications Masts............................................................... 95 C15 Satellite Antennae ....................................................................................... 96 C16 Utility Developments.................................................................................... 96 7. Environment and Conservation............................................................................... 97 EN1 Wildlife Sites of International Importance .................................................... 97 EN2 Sites of Special Scientific Interest ..............................................................