Local Development Framework Consultation

Old Hutton & Holmescales Parish Council discussed the draft policies at its meeting last night and made the following comments:

DM4 - statements throughout DM4 should refer to the planting of native species in order to prevent foreign species which do not support wildlife as well.

DM8 – all developments (not “two or more”) should have provision for fast broadband. It is now recognised as a major utility equal to the telephone and power.

DM8 – paragraph 2.8.3 – reference to Openreach should be removed to give equality to all providers. Experience in the parish has shown that Openreach has often given incorrect information and very little information about local wireless providers of broadband.

DM13 – point 5 – a minimum of 10 dwellings is too big. The parish council favours a more flexible approach in the context of the criteria for rounding off and infilling, the minimum size of hamlet being 5 dwellings. Several former farms in the parish have been converted to dwellings but a minimum of 10 would prevent any rounding off and infilling at sites which would be ideal and this would be particularly harmful to young people wanting to self-build.

DM14 – it is not clear that DM14 is a policy for new buildings; rural exception sites are allowed by national policy if they involve the conversion of disused buildings such as barns.

DM15 – paragraph 4.5.2 in the reasoned justification section – as with DM14 it should be made clear that this policy is for new buildings and not the conversion of disused ones.

DM16 – in point 1 the meaning of “significant” needs to be defined. Failure to give this will result in inconsistency across the District.

DM19 – field shelters for horses should be screened by planting native bushes and trees. This parish has a number of shelters and they are visually obtrusive in the landscape.

Regards,

Arthur Robinson
Parish clerk