Regulation 19 Rutland Local Plan
Chapter 5 – Spatial Strategy Comment
The Spatial Strategy provides the overall framework for the quantity of development that should be planned for, and where this development is to be directed, linked to the roles of the towns and villages in Rutland. It identifies settlements that are suitable locations for sustainable development and is a key factor underpinning the distribution of development.
The Spatial Strategy seeks to reflect the long-term Future Rutland Vision which states that:
Rutland's market towns of Oakham and Uppingham will thrive as vibrant destinations to shop, socialise and enjoy life – both for those who live locally and the many thousands of people who come to the County every year.
Towns and villages will promote inclusion, retain their sense of identity, and encourage even greater community spirit – all things that help to give Rutland its distinctive feeling of closeness, familiarity, and security.
Wherever new homes are needed, they will be built in a way that protects and enhances the things that matter most to everyone – Rutland's sense of community and its unique rural identity.
To achieve this vision the spatial strategy identifies that Oakham and Uppingham as the county's towns, will continue to be the key locations for new development and change over the plan period. Development in the towns will be supported by the strategic joint development of Stamford North which adjoins the County boundary at Stamford, and small to medium scale housing and employment development in the 21 Larger Villages. Larger Villages are considered to be of a size that can support small scale local community facilities such as a village shop, public house, village hall or community centre, recreation and/or play facilities and which may already include a primary school or medical centre. These are identified below in Policy SS1(b).
The Local Plan provides a suite of policies to help guide the location, design, form and scale of development, as well as policies which will require new development to deliver necessary infrastructure, biodiversity net gain and address the governments carbon zero objectives. These policies are included within the Climate Change, Housing, Economy, Sustainable Communities, Environment and the Infrastructure and Delivery Chapters. Policies within the Economy; Sustainable Communities and Infrastructure and Delivery chapters also seek to maintain and improve community health and well-being and deliver community benefits from new development.
By setting out the locations where development can take place, the spatial strategy will help to protect the countryside, from inappropriate development. In addition, supported by a suite of policies, primarily set out in this Spatial Strategy chapter and in the Environment chapter, these policies seek to protect the landscape character, ecology, biodiversity, heritage and Rutland Water Area.
What will this policy do?
A number of factors contribute to quality of life and help make Rutland a good place to live, work and study. For the success of the County to continue, it is important to make sure the Local Plan provides for the appropriate levels of growth in a way that will deliver sustainable development.
Policy SS1 establishes the levels of employment and housing growth needed for the plan period and sets out where this development should be located to support the local economy and provide for housing needs. It must do this whilst maintaining the quality of life for residents as well as the quality of the natural and built environment.
Policy SS1 - Spatial strategy for new development Comment
The Local Plan allocates sufficient land together with existing commitments and development built since 2021, to deliver:
- at least 123 dwellings per annum (2460 over the 20-year period 2021-2041) and
- a minimum of 16 hectares for new employment generating uses, (with the aim of generating additional jobs) over the Plan period 2021-2041 to address the objectives of the Economic Strategy.
- the majority of new development will be focussed within the Planned Limits of Development (PLDs) of Oakham (and Barleythorpe) and Uppingham, and on land adjacent to Stamford North as part of an urban extension. This will be met by allocated sites (see policies H1, H2 and E1) and through windfalls on sites compliant with the other policies in this plan.
- in the defined Larger Villages listed below, development of allocated sites (see policies H1 and E1) and windfall sites within the Planned Limits of Development will be permitted:
|
- Barrowden |
- Exton |
- Market Overton |
|
- Belton |
- Great Casterton |
- Morcott |
|
- Braunston In Rutland |
- Greetham |
- North Luffenham |
|
- Cottesmore |
- Ketton |
- Ryhall |
|
- Edith Weston |
- Langham |
- South Luffenham |
|
- Empingham |
- Lyddington |
- Whissendine |
|
- Essendine |
- Manton |
- Wing |
- development will be limited to small scale redevelopment and infill* opportunities only (subject to the criteria of policy SS3), in the following smaller villages and hamlets listed below:
|
- Ashwell |
- Glaston |
- Stoke Dry |
|
- Ayston |
- Gunthorpe |
- Stretton |
|
- Barrow |
- Hambleton |
- Teigh |
|
- Belmesthorpe |
- Little Casterton |
- Thistleton |
|
- Bisbrooke |
- Lyndon |
- Thorpe by Water |
|
- Brooke |
- Pickworth |
- Tickencote |
|
- Burley |
- Pilton |
- Tinwell |
|
- Caldecott |
- Preston |
- Tixover |
|
- Clipsham |
- Ridlington |
- Wardley |
|
- Egleton |
- Seaton |
- Whitwell |
* infill development is defined as a small site within a substantially built up frontage. It is expected that housing development on such sites will usually be of 1-2 new dwellings, although exceptionally there may be sites which yield up to a maximum of 5 dwellings.
- the reuse and/or redevelopment of land within the defined St George's Barracks and Woolfox Opportunity Areas will be supported where it accords with the requirements of policy SS4 and the principles and requirements of any adopted masterplan, SPD or DPD for the site;
- places not identified above are considered to be part of the wider countryside where development will only be appropriate if permitted by other policies of this plan, a neighbourhood plan or national policy.
Why is this policy needed?
The NPPF requires the Local Plan to provide a spatial framework for addressing housing needs and other economic, social, and environmental priorities. It states that strategic policies should set out an overall strategy for the pattern, scale, and design quality of places, and make sufficient provision housing, employment, retail and leisure and other commercial development. Establishing a clear spatial strategy directs development to those locations which are suitable for sustainable development and economic growth. Defining the spatial strategy underpins the scale and distribution of development which will meet the identified needs for the County for the plan period.
The above approach is intended to meet the minimum housing requirement set out in the Government's calculation of Rutland's Local Housing Need (LHN). However, it is recognised that there are limits to the continued development being added on to the edges of existing settlements. Equally, the Future Rutland Vision looks to a longer time period than the proposed plan period for the Local Plan.
The spatial strategy included in the adopted Core Strategy 2011 has been reviewed to assess whether it remains appropriate. The new spatial strategy recognises the following key roles and relationships of the County's towns and villages:
Oakham is the main town of the County, with range of job opportunities, higher order services including retail, leisure and health facilities for the surrounding rural area and has good public transport links. Existing commitments and new allocations for housing and employment development will seek to sustain its prominence as the main service centre serving the villages in Rutland for shopping, employment, and local services.
Uppingham is the second largest settlement in the County and also serves a rural hinterland through the provision of a wide range of services and facilities within the town. Despite a positive approach to allocating land for housing and employment development in the made Uppingham Neighbourhood Plan, past rates of development in Uppingham have been lower than envisaged through the Core Strategy DPD plan period to date.
Uppingham Town Council are reviewing this made Neighbourhood Plan and propose additional housing and employment land to be allocated to meet the needs of the town for the new Local Plan period. The Local Plan seeks to provide the strategic context to enable locally determined, appropriate additional allocations to be made through the Uppingham Neighbourhood Plan.
Oakham and Uppingham are the most sustainable locations for new development and therefore allocations for the majority of new houses and job opportunities will be located in the towns.
The Rutland County boundary with Lincolnshire is close to the town of Stamford in South Kesteven. Evidence has shown that the most appropriate location for the future growth of the town of Stamford is to the north of the town. This development needs some land located in Rutland in order to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable development. This plan therefore includes a proposal for land to form the western end of a larger urban extension to the north of Stamford.
The County's larger villages are defined as those which may have a number of key local services such as a shop, public house, community centre, school and/or recreation and leisure spaces. However, some of these facilities are commercial operations and may close (or open) during the plan period without the need for planning permission. The background paper identifies that villages with more than 150 homes and a population of more than 300[1] people can sustain a local shop or public house and a community centre and recreation spaces. Therefore, these villages are identified as the Larger Villages where a limited amount of development may help to maintain or enhance their vitality, support existing community facilities, and meet local needs. The spatial strategy lists the larger villages and allocations for small and medium scale housing development are made in some of these villages. (see Chapter 6 Housing).
There are also a large number of smaller villages and hamlets spread across the County. The small villages and hamlets are defined as those with less than 150 houses and a population of less than 300 people. These villages have few or no local facilities and the scale of development required to bring such facilities to the village is likely to be much larger than the existing settlement pattern would accommodate. Promoting development in these villages would not encourage sustainable patterns of growth. In these locations development will, therefore, be limited to small scale infill and redevelopment opportunities.
Supporting Evidence
Background paper on Spatial Strategy for New Development (2023)
[1] Population based on the parish population (using 2021 census data) It is recognised that some parishes include more than 1 village and therefore the population may not be the village population. However, Rutland has an average household size of 2.3 people per house therefore the number of houses in a village multiplied by the average household size would indicate that a population size of more that 300 is appropriate.
