Object

Village Housing Options and Settlement Boundaries

Representation ID: 61762

Received: 17/01/2014

Respondent: Ian Saunders

Representation Summary:

-WCC proposal to remove some villages from the green belt to accommodate limited development suggest that all villages/hamlets should be excluded. When grouped they form part of the large parish and are at risk of becoming even more isolated without allowing for modest growth.
-Villages did not spring up overnight. They have all developed and decreased/increased in size over a long time.
-The sensible village boundaries would need to be agreed by the individual Parish Councils. Green Belt policy is designed to protect the boundaries between settlements and retain our countryside and this in my opinion would not be compromised.

Full text:

Can you tell me if there has been any consideration given to removing the green belt 'washover' on any smaller villages in the district?

Villages for example like Rowington, Norton Lindsey, Lapworth, Pinley Green, Little Shrewley, Hatton Green and similar

Your proposals to remove some villages from the green belt to accommodate limited development, suggests that in fact, all villages and Hamlets should be excluded from the green belt, particularly as when grouped collectively, smaller villages are after all, linked to and form part of the larger parish and are at risk of becoming even more isolated without allowing for modest growth. Villages after all didn't just spring up overnight, they've all developed and either decreased or increased in size over a very long time.

I appreciate that sensible village boundaries would need to be agreed by the individual Parish Councils, but the green belt policy is designed to protect the boundaries between settlements and to retain the open space aspect of our countryside and this, in my opinion, would not be compromised.

It's clear to see that the an increase in housing numbers is required throughout the district and the opportunity for villages to allow a sensible and proportionate increase in their housing numbers within the village envelope, will obviously help provide some of the increases required when looked at on a district wide basis.

I'm quite sure there will many objections coming forward against the larger scale developments being suggested, and proportionate infill, within the current villages, could alleviate some of the many those concerns.