Object
Initial Consultation document
Representation ID: 91901
Received: 30/07/2018
Respondent: Mr Ian James
Policy MW1 states that planning permission would aim to be granted unless the adverse impacts of granting permission significantly outweigh the benefits. This principle is acceptable for small scale building projects, where effects are very localised,in keeping with the local environment and typically part of the natural growth of urban areas. It is also acceptable for major projects like road building where compensation arrangements are a major part of land acquisition.
However, in the case of mineral exploitation and waste management:
- The area of land being developed in usually very small.
- The benefits are perceived as being important to large numbers of people across the County.
- The impact is often limited just to local residents, yet this impact is extreme in terms of visual, noise and devaluing of property.
On this basis, the proposed policy would view that the impact on local residents and business in rural sparsely populated areas with never by sufficient enough to outweigh the benefits of a mineral and waste site development proposal. Policy MW5 provides a number of bird species with a 1500m buffer zone as protection. It seems only reasonable that residents of an area which is sparsely populated, and who have chosen to live there for peace and tranquillity should not risk having a mineral/waste site appear on their doorstep and should be protected with a specific buffer zone, perhaps say 1000m. The proposed development in Quidenham is an example of a site that would blight the peace and tranquillity of local residents, with some houses adjacent to the site and the village of Eccles with 500m.
Policy MW1 should be amended such that planning permission for development of new sites would only be approved where there is negligible impact on local residents.
Consideration should be given to establishing a formal buffer zone to residential properties in rural areas in order to protect their amenity.
Policy MW1 states that planning permission would aim to be granted unless the adverse impacts of granting permission significantly outweigh the benefits. This principle is acceptable for small scale building projects, where effects are very localised,in keeping with the local environment and typically part of the natural growth of urban areas. It is also acceptable for major projects like road building where compensation arrangements are a major part of land acquisition.
However, in the case of mineral exploitation and waste management:
- The area of land being developed in usually very small.
- The benefits are perceived as being important to large numbers of people across the County.
- The impact is often limited just to local residents, yet this impact is extreme in terms of visual, noise and devaluing of property.
On this basis, the proposed policy would view that the impact on local residents and business in rural sparsely populated areas with never by sufficient enough to outweigh the benefits of a mineral and waste site development proposal. Policy MW5 provides a number of bird species with a 1500m buffer zone as protection. It seems only reasonable that residents of an area which is sparsely populated, and who have chosen to live there for peace and tranquillity should not risk having a mineral/waste site appear on their doorstep and should be protected with a specific buffer zone, perhaps say 1000m. The proposed development in Quidenham is an example of a site that would blight the peace and tranquillity of local residents, with some houses adjacent to the site and the village of Eccles with 500m.
Policy MW1 should be amended such that planning permission for development of new sites would only be approved where there is negligible impact on local residents.
Consideration should be given to establishing a formal buffer zone to residential properties in rural areas in order to protect their amenity.