Cottenham Neighbourhood Plan - submission consultation

Comment

Representation ID: 167655

Received: 25/03/2019

Respondent: Gladman Developments

Support Parish Council (PC) commissioning AECOM to undertake housing needs assessment. Question why PC 'corrects' AECOM scenarios to take account of local constraints recognised in Local Plan to provide a 'more realistic constrained number'. Evidence provided by AECOM identifies housing need figure up to 716 dwellings over plan period.

Local Plan elevates Cottenham from Minor Rural Centre to Rural Centre recognising sustainability credentials of Cottenham. PC should not be seeking to restrict level of growth to this settlement. Plan should take a positive approach to growth in this sustainable location.

Object

Representation ID: 167656

Received: 25/03/2019

Respondent: Gladman Developments

Policy COH/1-1 Landscape Character

Development can often be delivered without loss of openness, landscape character or views considered important to local community. Use of appropriate design to take into consideration wider landscape features of surrounding area.

Concern policy has protectionist stance - how will decision makers apply policy in consistent manner? Opinions on landscape are highly subjective - need further clarity about how these views are considered special to local community. Lead to inconsistency in decision making process. View needs some form of physical attribute to take it out of the ordinary rather than protecting open countryside for its own sake.

Need to modify policy - over restrictive. Contrary to basic conditions.

Object

Representation ID: 167657

Received: 25/03/2019

Respondent: Gladman Developments

Policy COH/1-2 Heritage Assets

Do not consider second element of policy which seeks to require development proposals to go 'over and above protection in NPPF and Local Plan is appropriate. Approach is not in accordance with requirements of NPPF. Policy should be modified so development proposals are considered in accordance with requirements of national/ local policy and guidance. As such this policy is not in accordance with basic condition (a) - having regard to national policies and advice.

Object

Representation ID: 167658

Received: 25/03/2019

Respondent: Gladman Developments

Policy COH/1-5 Village Character - New Build

Support use of term 'where practical' as this adds element of flexibility within policy wording. Essential that criteria list is not too prescriptive resulting in hindering delivery of development opportunity.

Part b) - too prescriptive and should be removed

Part f) - requirement not supported by any evidence. Too prescriptive as it will not allow most appropriate layout of schemes.

Part i) - admirable aim but aspirational. Clarity on how this is to be delivered. Delivery of communication infrastructure is responsibility of telecommunication and broadband industry. Policy requirement may have unintended impact on housing delivery as delivery of this infrastructure outside control of developer.

Object

Representation ID: 167659

Received: 25/03/2019

Respondent: Gladman Developments

Policy COH/1-6 Village Character - village core or centre.

Concerns about policy requirement to include electric charging points - not supported by robust evidence. Need to engage with energy suppliers to determine network capacity before proposing policy. Charging demand if excessive could overload capacity of existing infrastructure - lead to need for new sub-station. Cost of new infrastructure may impact adversely on delivery of development proposals and thus impact delivery of sustainable development. Need for flexibility in Plan to ensure policy is not too prescriptive making development unviable.

Recommend that reference to electric charging facilities be deleted. Conflicts with basic conditions

Object

Representation ID: 167660

Received: 25/03/2019

Respondent: Gladman Developments

Policy COH/2-1 Development Framework

Object to use of 'countryside policies' which seek to protect countryside for sake of its intrinsic character. Based on old PPS7 approach - restrictive stance to rural development. NPPF clear presumption in favour of sustainable development. Use of frameworks creates presumption against development in all areas beyond an arbitrary line - confines physical growth of settlement. Contrary to basic conditions.

Wording of policy should be modified to allow for flexibility. Suggest having criteria based policy in Plan.

Object

Representation ID: 167661

Received: 25/03/2019

Respondent: Gladman Developments

Policy COH/2-2 Large Site Design

Welcomes use of term where practicable as this provides degree of flexibility.

Concern that some of the requirements are ambiguous and subjective - e.g. 'applying imaginative and original design'. This type of design policy should be more guidance rather than actual policy.

Part b) requires schemes apply landscape design criteria but unclear what this criteria requires - need for further detail in policy or its supporting text.

Object

Representation ID: 167662

Received: 25/03/2019

Respondent: Gladman Developments

Policy COH/2-3 Use of Brownfield Sites for Housing

Support principle of policy.

Despite concerns raised in previous representations does not appear that Parish Council has provided certainty that these allocations are available for development. Without this detailed level of understanding regarding deliverability of these sites they are merely aspirations which should be included as appendix to Plan which contains other non land use policies.

Object

Representation ID: 167663

Received: 25/03/2019

Respondent: Gladman Developments

Policy COH/2-4 Locally Affordable Housing and CLT

Whilst recognising importance of delivering housing to meet identified housing needs rural exception housing can be difficult to deliver if they are to provide 100% affordable housing - unlikely that landowner of development would be willing to promote such a scheme as it is highly doubtful that it will be viable and achieve the most optimum value of land that could be secured.

Recommend that in order to secure affordable housing needs in full consideration should be given to additional housing allocations to provide mix of market and affordable homes to meet affordable housing need in full

Object

Representation ID: 167664

Received: 25/03/2019

Respondent: Gladman Developments

Village Facilities - Policies COH/4.1.1 - COH/5.1 - policies for facilities including nursery, doctor's surgery, recreational facilities, village hall.

Important that Parish Council carefully consider ways in which it will fund deficit of provision of these facilities and other community aspirations identified in Plan. Consider that allocation of additional housing land could help secure delivery of these objectives and Plan's aspirations to meet its affordable housing needs through financial contributions provided through section 106 agreements or unilateral undertakings.