settlement boundary is a line that is drawn on plan around a village, which reflects its built form, this is also known historically as a ‘village envelope’. The settlement boundary is used as
What are settlement boundaries and why are they important?
Settlement Boundaries are normally defined on proposals or policies maps by a thick black line that tightly wraps around the physical built edge of a village, town or city. In most cases, development plans support the principle of development at sites located within a Settlement Boundary as they are generally viewed as being sustainable locations.
What are planning consents outside a settlement boundary?
Planning permissions outside of a settlement boundary. At Plainview Planning we specialise in securing consents for sites outside of settlement boundaries. It is normally a line drawn around a settlement in the Proposals Map of a Local Plan. The Local Plan generally allows for development within the boundary and resists development outside.
What should be included in a settlement boundary?
settlement boundaries should include new developments which may have occurred recently. It is also advisable to include sites that have recieved planning permission within the settlement boundary.
What is the National Planning Policy for settlement boundaries?
A lot of focus is given to “settlement boundaries” but the phrase is not mentioned once in the National Planning Policy Framework. Instead, national guidance dictates that isolated homes should be avoided.
What criteria were used to define what could be included within settlement boundaries?
4.1 The following criteria were used to define what could be included within Settlement Boundaries. These were partially based on the criteria which defined the Physical Limits as set out in the Local Development Framework, with some alterations and additions to align the criteria with the policies of the NPPF.
What is the first draft of the Waveney Local Plan?
3.1 The First Draft Local Plan (July 2017) included Policy WLP1.3 on Settlement Boundaries given the support for the retention of Settlement Boundaries in the April 2016 Options for the New Waveney Local Plan Consultation. The strategy within the First Draft Local Plan also sought to increase levels of development in rural areas. Therefore, the plan identified Settlement Boundaries around all towns and larger villages and smaller villages as defined in Policy WLP7.1 of the Local Plan. The effect of this is that a larger number of settlements now benefit from Settlement Boundaries than do in the existing Local Plan (Local Development Framework).
What is settlement and whether the development would be isolated from a settlement?
What is a “settlement” and whether the development would be “isolated” from a settlement are both matters of planning judgment for the decision-maker on the facts of the particular case.”.
When should planning decisions be made in accordance with the Local Plan?
Planning decisions should be made in accordance with the Local Plan unless material considerations dictate otherwise.
Is the phrase "settlement boundaries" mentioned in the National Planning Policy Framework?
A lot of focus is given to “settlement boundaries” but the phrase is not mentioned once in the National Planning Policy Framework. Instead, national guidance dictates that isolated homes should be avoided.
Is there a minimum number of dwellings in a settlement?
There is no specified minimum number of dwellings, or population. It is not said that a settlement or development boundary must have been fixed in an adopted or emerging local plan, or that only the land and buildings within that settlement or development boundary will constitute the settlement.
What does it mean when a settlement boundary is wrong?
Settlement boundaries can represent the battlefront for planning applications. Just because your development site is the wrong side of an arbitrary line often means that planning permission will be refused by default. This is often a short sighted position by the Council, and can fail to acknowledge site-specific sustainability benefits. Nevertheless, the development plan is the primary driver of planning decisions, with material considerations often not given due weight. However, local plan settlement boundaries are not necessarily set in stone.
How do you change a settlement boundary?
The only way is to engage in local plan consultations and reviews. These come round every 5 years and generally go through several stages.
Why are settlement boundaries drawn at a district scale?
This is mainly because everybody’s attention is focused on the large scale strategic land releases. However, once adopted the boundaries can be very difficult to change. There are a handful of successful appeal decisions where “rounding off” has been held ...
Was the garden included in the settlement?
We were successful in the change being accepted by the Local Plan inspector during the Main Modifications stage, meaning that our client’s large garden was included within the settlement. This has paved the way for future “windfall” housing planning applications on the site.
