We want our rural villages to continue to thrive and sustain their local services, but we don’t want to encourage lots of new homes in places where car travel is the easiest or only way to get around. We therefore propose some development in and around villages that have good transport links and services, while in smaller villages, we propose that only small-scale infill development and affordable housing would be permitted. Any development in and around villages needs to be well-designed for the rural setting, with a strong relationship to landscape.
How have the plan’s themes influenced this?
Providing a limited amount of development in the rest of the rural area can help meet the specific needs of specific employment sectors, support delivery of a range of types and sizes of housing across the area, and can support the social sustainability of villages and help support community aspirations. As stated in Strategy section (S/DS) this must be balanced with the implications for climate change of distributing development.
Topic Paper
Further information on the policy areas, including their national, regional and local context, and further information on the evidence that has informed the proposed policy direction, can be found in the topic paper which accompanies this theme:
- : Topic Paper 1: Strategy
Tell us what you think
Our consultation for this phase is now closed.