Please find below the objection that Repton Parish Council has sent to Savills and also South Derbyshire District Council planning department.
The Repton Parish Council (that covers both the villages of Repton and Milton) would object to the proposed Development East of Repton (Ref DY42664) on the following grounds –
HOUSING
The Repton and Milton Neighbourhood Development Plan Policy (NDP) H1 states –
6.1.2 POLICY H1: THE LIMITS OF DEVELOPMENT: The limits of development, which define the settlement boundary for the villages of Repton and Milton, will be maintained as identified on the proposals maps for each village, as shown below. Housing development outside of the settlement boundary will only be permitted if it is solely or primarily for affordable housing, of a scale and design appropriate to its context and generally in conformity with South Derbyshire Local Plan Policy BNE5.
The proposed development does not meet NDP Policy H1 and forms grounds for objection.
The South Derbyshire District Council Pre Submission Local Plan Part 1 has a revised policy H1. The wording of most relevance in Policy H1 is:
For the above two tiers [includes Repton], development of all sizes within the settlement boundaries will be considered appropriate and sites adjoining settlement boundaries as rural exception sites in accordance with Policy H21 as long as not greater than 25 dwellings.
H21 states:
Rural exception sites, where development is kept in perpetuity as affordable housing, will be permitted adjoining settlements with boundaries defined in the Local Plan, other than Swadlincote, Derby and Burton. The number of dwellings to be provided should be in accordance with Policy H1. Due to the need for affordable housing, all homes delivered within rural exception sites are required to meet the definition of Affordable Housing as set out in the NPPF.
Rural exception sites will only be permitted where:
- the homes meet a clearly identified local need arising from the adjoining settlement;
- the need cannot reasonably be met within the settlement boundary;
- A range of services and facilities are conveniently accessible from the site by means other than private car and
- the development is proportionate in scale to the existing settlement and is compliant with all other relevant policies in the Local Plan.
The proposed development does not meet the requirements of the SDDC Pre Submission Local Plan Part 1 Policy H21 and forms additional grounds for objection.
SEPARATION OF MILTON AND REPTON
The need to maintain the separation of Milton and Repton villages is a theme that runs throughout the NDP. In the public consultation it was seen as a fundamental requirement to be included
The NDP has a basic requirement –
5.2.1 Looking at the principles (in the NDP) in more detail:
The preservation of the separate villages of Repton and Milton, so that the individual identity of each community is not lost: The two villages are very different in size, and nature.
The NDP also has Policy OS2
6.2.4 POLICY OS2: THE IMPACT OF NEW DEVELOPMENT ON VIEWS OF AND VIEWS FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE. This is backed up by a landscape assessment of the parish supporting the separation of the two villages (CEF 6).
CEF 6 – Landscape Character and Visual Aspects Report – contains the following statements
Section on Separation of Repton and Milton –
2.49 Within the local landscape area there is an overriding need to ensure that potential coalescence of the two villages is avoided. There is a short distance of c.1km between Repton and Milton however the rising land between the two villages, which is reinforced by the settlements (particularly Milton) being nestled along the valley bottom, provides a perception of separation from one another. A sufficiently wide gap should therefore be retained to allow a sense of leaving one place before arriving at the other.
Under section 4.5
Where possible, future development should also seek to:- Maintain the physical separation between Repton and Milton which reinforces the individual setting and character for each village;
Figure 13 of the document highlights the area and is designated – Settlement Edge of Higher Sensitivity, in Landscape and Visual Terms, to Future Built Development.
The proposed development does not meet NDP policy OS2 and forms another ground for objection.
Major Safety Concern
The Parish Council and parishioners also have a major safety concern for pedestrians and vehicles on Milton Road and exiting and accessing the site given the topography of the area. These concerns have not reduced since the 2014 application that was withdrawn after objections were received from DCC Highways and the Repton Parish Council. These concerns have been reinforced by the work of the Community Speed Watch that has been deployed in this area of the village a number of times. We would be interested to see how these concerns can be met.