The proposed Development Strategy will create a very restrictive policy to the edge of village developments that would otherwise bring significant benefits to a local community.

The policy refers to “Small new sites for housing” at villages, with “very good public transport access”. This approach however limits the opportunity where a perfectly sustainable medium sized scheme of between 15 to 50 No. dwellings could be delivered to meet local need at a Group and higher tier Village.

More flexibility should be created within the Strategy to allow village development that would deliver private, affordable, and self-build dwellings, which would meet the local need and that is highlighted within an up-to-date Village Housing Needs Survey. This alternative approach would be more supportive than the current proposed Strategy in relation to meeting the objectives set out in Paragraph 60 of the NPPF 2021 and in particular the importance that a sufficient amount and variety of land should come forwarded where it is needed.

Through a restrictive approach on directing self-build housing to a proportion of major development schemes, this again prevents the delivery of this form of development to where it can be demonstrated there is a local need and would support the vitality of a village and its services and facilities. The current proposed Strategy lacks flexibility and strategic direction to support villages and their local needs.