Policy RA3: Development in the Countryside
Proposals for development in the countryside will be determined on the basis of:
(iii) allowing the creation of new dwellings in extremely limited circumstances,
including:
(a) agricultural dwellings in accordance with PPS7 Annex A;
(b) the conversion of traditional historic farm buildings in accordance with Policy RA4;
(c) the one-to-one replacement of an existing dwelling of similar landscape impact; or
(d) as a 'rural exception site' to meet an identified local affordable housing need as elaborated upon in Chapter 15 - Local Housing Needs;
(iv) ensuring that extensions to existing buildings and their residential curtilages, and other ancillary development such as outbuildings, fences, enclosures, lighting and signage, would maintain and not compromise the character of the countryside and landscape;
(v) ensuring that all development in the countryside is of an appropriate scale, will not adversely impact on the on the landscape character or natural resources of the countryside and, wherever practicable, support sensitive land management.
Any new dwelling, extension, conversion in the countryside (as mentioned in iii and iv) has the potential to impact on protected species, sites or habitats and provide an opportunity for biodiversity gain, therefore all these proposals should be referred to and considered in accordance to the last bullet point (v) found in Policy RA4 together with our comments on additional text which are set out below.
Bullet (v) needs to be more explicit about natural resource, either define this in the supporting text or in the policy, we are assuming this covers designated sites but is unclear.