Criteria for Definition of Development Boundaries

The purpose of defining Development boundaries within the Neighbourhood Plan is in order to provide greater clarity over where new development should be focussed.

In determining the Development Boundaries in this Parish, the following factors should be taken in to consideration:

– The importance of allowing for sufficient land within Development Boundaries to meet local housing needs over the Neighbourhood Plan period, noting that Affordable housing needs can be met outside the Development Boundaries on ‘exception sites’

– Areas of land should be included within Development Boundaries if they could reasonably be considered to be ‘infill’ or ‘rounding off’, as well as ‘previously developed land’ (PDL). Further guidance on this is set out in Policy 3 of the Cornwall Local Plan and in the Chief Planning Officer Advice Note on Infill and Rounding off. Where planning permission has already been granted for open market housing, this land should also be considered to lie within the Development Boundary.

– Strong priority should be given to protecting the special local landscape character of areas of the Parish which lie within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the World Heritage Site (WHS). (Refer the Local Landscape Character Assessment)

– In delineating Development Boundaries, the Parish should seek to sustain the individual character and distinctiveness of settlements and hamlets, and to guard against further ribbon development or amalgamation of settlement areas. The Development Boundary should follow clearly defined features such as fences, hedges, walls, roads, streams and other features delineating the built-up area. Large gardens and other open-space areas associated with dwellings (eg allotments or fields) should be left outside the boundary, unless these are areas to be prioritised for development

– Development Boundaries should not lead to development in areas of open countryside and it is important to ensure that the visual impact of the settlement edge blends in with the surrounding landscape, particularly when viewed from footpaths, bridleways and public vantage points. Sporadic development which is of a different character to, or clearly separated from, the built-up area should not be included within the Boundary, and areas of open land which lie in a visually prominent position such as on a skyline or high ground should also not be included.

– Land should not be included within a Development Boundary if it is recognised as being an environmentally sensitive area, or an area prone to flooding, erosion or subsidence.

– Land should not be included within Development Boundaries if doing so would result in a negative impact on the historic form and heritage character of hamlets, farmsteads or landscapes (refer Parish Heritage Character Assessment and Area Appraisals). Where Development Boundaries incorporate Conservation Areas (Perranuthnoe and Goldsithney villages), any new development affecting the CA must be in keeping with the heritage character of the area (refer national CA guidelines and NP heritage policies)

– In setting Development Boundaries, it is important to assess the capacity of existing services to support additional housing, avoid overcrowding, and to assess the viability and accessibility of the area for further development

– Areas of green space that are integral to the local character of an area and/or which provide recreational facilities for communities, including amenity land, should either lie outside Development Boundaries, or be protected within them (for example through local green space designation)