North Curry Neighbourhood Plan – Executive Summary of Policies

This summary of policies is provided as a summary in plain English to assist users of the plan in understanding the policies.

Natural Environment Policy

NE1  Protecting and Enhancing Habitats and Biodiversity –

Local wildlife sites and Strategic nature areas must be protected and enhanced

Development proposals must demonstrate how they have considered the North Curry Ecology Report, the Somerset Nature Recovery Strategy and the Somerset Pollinator Action Plan

Proposals for habitat restoration must show consideration of underlying geology and soils and include soil testing.

NE2 Trees Orchards and Hedgerows

Development proposals affecting trees, orchards, woodlands and hedges must be accompanied by an arboricultural survey.

Unless a tree or hedge is dying, it must be preserved or replaced or, where it must be removed to enable the development to take place safely, it must be replaced by another tree or hedge and then managed.

Unless this is achieved development proposals will not be supported.

Where there is a Tree Preservation Order, an active management plan is required as part of the development proposal.

Development proposals must protect existing hedges.

Proposals for restoration of ancient hedges will be supported.

Proposals involving new trees and hedges must have a plan for management for 10 years after planting.  

NE3 Protecting and Enhancing Landscape Character and Value

Development proposals must demonstrate how they have taken into account and are sympathetic to key landscape characteristics and local historic landscape. Development proposals will reference the local landscape in terms of nature, scale, density, massing, design, materials and soft landscaping to show neutral or beneficial impact.  

Landscapes and views on Map 4 are to be protected (although this is not an exhaustive list).

NE4 Nutrient Neutrality

Development proposals must comply with the requirements to demonstrate no adverse impact on Ramsar Sites        

NE5 Supporting Landowners to Enhance Wetland Environments 

Development proposals will be supported where these demonstrate retention and enhancement of wetland habitat.

Built Environment

BE1 Protect Local Heritage Assets

Historic environment must be protected from harm. This includes local listed buildings as well as national listings. Any development proposals for such buildings or their setting must include a proportionate heritage statement and demonstrate regard to the Somerset Heritage Environment Record.

BE2 Design and Character    

Development proposals must demonstrate response to the Design Guide by delivering best practice street network, protecting trees, delivering well designed open space, respecting landscape setting, ensuring access to the countryside, demonstrating respect for local architecture, reflecting built form, having low density, have permeable paving and minimises surface water flow, respond to climate change, protect biodiversity, and identify opportunities to incorporate blue and green infrastructure.

Proposers of major development should engage with the community early in the process and hold a Design Review Process including local representation.

BE3 Minimising Light Pollution    

Development proposals must comply with International Dark Skies Association guidance.

Housing

HOU1 Responding to Local Housing Need (type, size and mix)

Development proposals should contribute a range of housing types and sizes relevant to local needs and market demands. Dwelling types to relate to affordability, household needs and character of the site’s setting. Proposals should meet and respond positively to the Housing Needs Assessment - 1 bed: 10 to 20%, 2 bed: 35 to 45%, 3-bed: 25 to 35% and 4+bed: 15 to 25%. 

HOU2 Responding to Local Housing Need (Tenure)

Development proposals must maximise Affordable provision and contribute to a range of tenure types and demonstrate how they meet local and neighbourhood planning policies and the Housing Needs Assessment (or if that is out of date an up-to-date housing need assessment).  

HOU 3 Community Housing Schemes

Development proposals must demonstrate how affordable or low-cost housing will be kept as such in perpetuity. Community housing schemes which provide affordable housing schemes in perpetuity will be supported (for example through a Community Land Trust).

HOU4 Recognising Service Infrastructure Needs

Development proposals must include an assessment of impact on existing services.   

Local Economy

LE1 Supporting Micro and Small Local Businesses and Home Working

Development proposals for starter workshops and for a community hub will be supported where it is on land with an established use for employment or brownfield land, where there is adequate provision for parking and access including for pedestrians and cyclists, where a sustainable travel plan has been provided, and where there are on adverse impacts on landscape, biodiversity, amenity, noise, transport and lighting.   

LE2 Live Work Units                  

 Development proposals for new live work units must demonstrate that they are well related to surrounding uses, more or equal workspace than live space, no unacceptable nuisance and satisfactory living accommodation. Change of use of existing employment to live/work must retain ground floor business use and limit live accommodation to a person carrying out the business use.

Applications for change from live/work to solely residential must show active marketing for 18 months, no sale achieved and use well related to surrounding land use.

Transport and Connectivity

TC1 Protecting and Improving the Local Pedestrian  and Cycling Network

Development proposals must protect and enhance existing public footpaths, permissive paths and cycleways.

Development proposals will be supported in principle where they resolve constraints identified on the Transport and Accessibility Improvements Plan (TAIP), mitigate or at least do not exacerbate issues revealed by TAIP, demonstrate pedestrian and cycle accessibility, provide safe and accessible route to the existing network and use LTN1 /20 Cycle Design. Proposals should positively reduce local climate impact.

TC2 Enhancing Access to the Countryside

Development proposals should enhance access to the countryside by provision of pedestrian, cycleway and bridleway links to the countryside.

The Policy supports delivery of improvements – in particular separation of pedestrians from vehicles in the village centre, safety at junction of Windmill Hill and Greenway, separation of pedestrians from vehicles along Stoke Road and White Street, Moor Lane and Greenway (Map 9)

TC3 Traffic arising from Major Development

Development proposals which generate significant additional traffic movements (defined by NPPF) should demonstrate by a Traffic Impact Assessment how traffic access and circulation will mitigate impacts onto the local network. Within the built-up area of North Curry, additional traffic should not exacerbate existing problems.

TC4 Telecoms Infrastructure and/or Fibre Infrastructure

Development proposals for infrastructure to support improvements to broadband and other telecommunications and particularly 5G will be supported if they are sensitively sited and sympathetically designed, do not result in the removal of trees and hedgerows and do not adversely impact on biodiversity, wildlife, residential and other amenity and health and well-being of the community.               

Community Facilities and Access

CFA1 Protecting Existing Community Sports and Play Facilities and Spaces

Our locally valued Community Sports and Play Facilities and Spaces are identified on Plan 10. These and any others should be protected from loss unless (a) there is no real prospect of viable continued use, (b) the proposal does not have an adverse impact, or the impact can be mitigated (c) the proposed alternative would have a greater or equal benefit. Replacement facilities should comply with CFA 2

CFA2 Enhancing Community facilities and spaces through new and improved facilities

Development proposals for new and extended facilities will be supported if they are predominantly for community use, viable, easily accessible and, where provided as part of development, in step with housing provision. Proposers are encouraged to discuss with the Parish Council. Facilities must be fit for purpose and viable in the long term.