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ID sylw: 101292

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Mr H Farmer

Draft Policy Direction 4's proposal to review Areas of Restraint and allow development for "community benefits" fundamentally undermines their protective purpose. AORs were specifically designated to preserve important open spaces and local character. Experience shows that "review" typically leads to weakening protections, while "community benefits" exceptions create dangerous precedents. Once an AOR's integrity is compromised by development, however small, it becomes increasingly difficult to resist further erosion. The cumulative impact of multiple "community benefit" developments could irreversibly damage these valuable open spaces.