Regulation 18 draft Local Plan

Support

Representation ID: 7375

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: The Society of Merchant Venturers

Agent: Savills

The SMV are supportive of this allocation and would like to work closely with the Council in progressing the Local Plan to secure an allocation and subsequently delivering this site.

Please see suggested alterations to the site area in rep 7357.

Support noted.

Support

Representation ID: 7376

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: The Society of Merchant Venturers

Agent: Savills

As set out in our response to Policy EN2, ‘Land at Uppingham Road’ and ‘Land south of Stamford Road’
(ref. H1.3) have potential to accommodate high quality development and supporting uses, including green
infrastructure such as nature recovery, biodiversity net gain and habitat creation. Furthermore, both sites would look to optimise connections with the existing PRoW network to thereby ‘provide opportunities to enhance and improve linkages between the natural and historical landscapes of Rutland’, in line with the aims of Policy EN7.

Both sites are well related to the existing GBI network which adjoins the land ownership boundaries of the sites. As such, both sites have the potential to contribute to the wider delivery of the GBI network (and meet the deficiencies in open space typology as evidenced within the Open Space Assessment (July 2023)) by creating corridors that connect
to existing GBI assets to the south of Oakham.

Noted

Object

Representation ID: 7377

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: The Society of Merchant Venturers

Agent: Savills

The Landscape Review of Rutland Water Area evidence base document confirms that there are some proposed changes to the Rutland Water Area (RWA) following a landscape review. The proposed changes to the designation area include an extension to the west, which includes the eastern part of ‘Land at Uppingham Road’.

The justification mentions a 'key' ridgeline that e is located to the south of ‘Land at Uppingham Road’ and therefore the site at ‘Land at Uppingham Road’ itself does not play a strong landscape or visual role in contributing to the RWA. Appendix 4 includes site photographs from the fields which are proposed to be within the RWA boundary extension. The site photographs clearly show that Rutland Water is not
visible from the site.

The Landscape Review of Rutland Water Area does not include any Zone of Theoretical Visibility or topographical work. ‘Land at Uppingham Road’ is situated a considerable distance from RWA, with the A6003 acting as a
physical barrier. The site is also somewhat lower than the ridgeline at circa 95-100m, whilst the base of the
ridge slope commences at 120-125m.

‘Land at Uppingham Road’ does not contribute towards the setting of RWA and therefore the proposed revisions to the RWA boundary should not include ‘Land at Uppingham Road’.

The boundary of the defined Rutland Water Area (RWA) is considered appropriate to protect the statutorily protected status of the reservoir itself, and the valued landscape and wildlife interests and the established tranquil and undisturbed character of the wider RWA (whilst accommodating appropriate recreation and tourism needs).

The RWA boundary follows recognisable features such as roads, settlement edges (Planned Limits of Development) woodland or hedgerow field boundaries wherever possible. In some areas topographical features are followed. Inevitably there are some areas within the RWA that do not have a direct relationship to the reservoir, and other areas that may be screened by buildings or vegetation from some locations.

The RWA boundary follows woodland edges, field boundaries and the A6003 to the east of Oakham. It includes the gently rising farmland of the High Rutland landscape character type (LCT) above Egleton and the flat landscape of the Vale of Catmose LCT. This ridgeline to the west is important to the setting of Rutland Water, providing the background in layered views across Rutland Water and its environs, for example in views from locations along the foreshore, from the Barnsdale and Normanton Recreation Areas and Hambleton peninsula.

Object

Representation ID: 7378

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: The Society of Merchant Venturers

Agent: Savills

Whilst the aim to protect designated heritage assets aligns with the provisions of the NPPF (2023), it is important to ensure that the weight applied to the asset’s conservation aligns with the significance of the heritage asset.

The NPPF is clear that plans should set out a ‘positive strategy’ for the conservation of the historic environment and states, for instance, that proposals that make a positive
contribution to the asset should be treated favourably. On this basis, it is important that Policy EN13 is applied positively in order to ensure that appropriate development is not unnecessarily restricted. It is also recommended that Policy EN13 is reviewed to ensure that it is not overly prescriptive to the design of new development and to avoid any unnecessary duplication with other policy guidance (such as the reference to the aim to protect trees).

Comments noted.

Support

Representation ID: 7379

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: The Society of Merchant Venturers

Agent: Savills

The overall approach towards new infrastructure provision is broadly supported. It will however be important to ensure that any planning obligations sought meet the tests set out in paragraph 57 of the NPPF (2023), which states that, ‘Planning obligations must only be sought where they meet all of the following tests:
• necessary to make the development acceptable in planning terms;
• directly related to the development; and
• fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the development.’

Policy INF1 states it is essential that all new development is supported by the provision of the necessary infrastructure, services, utilities and facilities. As such, to ensure the soundness of the Plan, in accordance with paragraph 35 of the NPPF (2023), it will be important to ensure that development is planned for in sustainable locations which are supported by existing local infrastructure or have the potential to support local infrastructure improvements.

Support Noted.