Selby District Core Strategy – October 2013:-
Other villages, which are referred to as ‘Secondary Villages’ are generally much smaller and less sustainable or else have no opportunities for continued growth owing to a combination of flood risk and environmental constraints.
Consequently further planned growth would not be appropriate in these settlements, although some housing development inside Development Limits such as conversions,replacement dwellings, and redevelopment of previously developed land, may take place where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities. Other than filling small gaps in built up frontages and the conversion/redevelopment of farmsteads (which are currently classed as greenfield), development on greenfield land will not be acceptable (see Policy SP4).
Development aimed at meeting a specific local need, such as 100% affordable housing will be considered favourably, consistent with other planning considerations, including affordable housing schemes adjoining village development limits as an exception to normal policy.
Countryside
4.31 Development in the countryside (outside defined Development Limits), including scattered hamlets, will generally be resisted unless it involves the replacement or extension of existing buildings, the re-use of buildings preferably for employment purposes and well-designed new buildings. Proposals of an appropriate scale which would diversify the local economy (consistent with the NPPF), or meet affordable housing need (adjoining the defined Development Limits of a village and which meets the provisions of Policy SP9), or other special circumstances, may also be acceptable.
The Council will resist new isolated homes in the countryside unless there are special circumstances such as the essential need for a rural worker to live permanently at or near their place of work in the countryside; or where such development would represent the optimal viable use of a heritage asset or would be appropriate enabling development to secure the future of heritage assets; or where the development would re-use redundant or disused buildings and lead to an enhancement to the immediate setting; or the exceptional quality or innovative nature of the design of the dwelling (tested against the NPPF paragraph 55 and other future local policy ordesign code).
References to Development Limits in this document refer to the Development Limits as defined on the Policies Map. Development Limits will be reviewed through further Local Plan documents.
Other Locational Principles
4.32 In addition to the specific geographical priorities and strategy above, the following factors will also influence the allocation of sites in the Local Plan and consideration of development proposals:
- a) Previously Developed Land (PDL)
4.33 High priority is given to the importance of utilising previously developed land (PDL) wherever this can be done without compromising other overriding sustainability considerations and housing delivery.
4.34 Within individual settlements a sequential approach will be adopted to allocating suitable sites for development in the following order of priority:
- Previously developed land and buildings within the settlement.
- Suitable greenfield land within the settlement.
- Extensions to settlements on previously developed land.
- Extensions to settlements on greenfield land.
4.35 Overall a practical indicator of 40% of new dwellings on previously developed land including conversions is proposed between 2004 and 2017. There is insufficient information at present to predict the longterm supply of PDL within the District to provide a meaningful indicator beyond 2017. However, the Council will continue to pursue policies which give priority to the use of PDL, subject to consistency with other elements of the Strategy, with the aim of achieving the highest possible percentage. Further details of the PDL indicator and accompanying trajectory up to 2017 are provided in Appendix B.
- b) Flood Risk
4.36 Government guidance24 also requires a sequential flood risk test to be applied when identifying land for development. This is to ensure that alternative suitable sites with a lower probability of flooding are used inpreference. Potential flood risk25 is a critical issue across the District and consideration of the flood risks associated with this development strategy has been undertaken through the Council’s Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.