Environment

Aims

5.01 Countryside and Public Open Space

The countryside and open spaces will be protected as a matter of priority from unnecessary or inappropriate development. Development in these areas will only be acceptable in exceptional circumstances and where the development clearly enhances these areas, for example landscaping and planting schemes.

5.02 There is an acknowledged lack of public open space within the village. As such, it is important that the existing countryside and green spaces in and around the village are protected in view of their importance to the community for recreation and the local environment.

5.03 Biodiversity
New development will be expected to:
-Provide community green space or woodland and restore and provide new nature conservation areas and wildlife havens, wherever possible
-Include environmentally friendly features, such as bat boxes, bird boxes and hedgehog gates into the landscape and building design
-Not harm or impact habitat and wildlife corridors, such as hedgerows and interlinked areas of open space / woodland.

5.04 This objective will ensure that new developments actively encourage biodiversity and wildlife corridors in the village, maintaining and, where possible enhancing, the quality and diversity of the local environment.

5.05 Water and Drainage
All new developments should have a water supply and drainage strategy agreed prior to submission of planning applications. This strategy should ensure that:
-Consultation and liaison has taken place with the utility provider;
-The demand for water and wastewater infrastructure on and off site can be met;
-The surface water drainage requirements on and off the site can be met; and
-The overall level of flood risk both on the site and elsewhere in the village and beyond will be reduced.

5.06 Both sewage and surface water drainage networks are at capacity, with heavy rainfall already resulting in flooding in areas of the village. A large number of respondents to the questionnaire have indicated that they experience issues with poor water pressure, drains and smells and discoloured water and have expressed concern over flooding issues in the village.

5.07 This policy therefore looks to address the concerns of the community in relation to the existing capacity, state and sustainability of the existing drainage network in the village, as well as enforcing the management and design of this infrastructure required under Local and National planning policy.