LA7 Criteria for Development at the Urban Fringe Policy
When considering new development at the edge of the urban area or in other locations which would be clearly visible from the open countryside, the Local Planning Authority will pay special regard to the visual impact of the proposals and will require that:
(i) new buildings are sited, designed and landscaped, in order to minimise visual intrusion;
(ii) proposals for boundary treatment are appropriate, in terms of the character of the surrounding landscape; and
(iii) prominent features within the landscape framework of the area are retained and enhanced.
Reasoned justification :
14.31 Policy LAN1 provides for the visual impact of new development to be regulated in terms of its potential impact upon the local landscape. Visual impact can be especially significant at the urban edge where new buildings can often be intrusive and can dominate views across a wide area of open land. National planning policy indicates that the visual amenities of the Green Belt should not be injured by proposals for development which are within or conspicuous from the Green Belt. Policy LA7, therefore, sets out the criteria the Local Planning Authority will normally apply in order to soften the interface between urban townscape and to protect the setting of the open countryside.
14.32 In practice, the objective of Policy LA7 can often be achieved through the careful siting and design of buildings, appropriate landscaping, and through the choice of appropriate boundary treatments. However, the retention of existing landscape features and the location and design of open space can also be significant. Policy LA7 should, therefore, wherever possible, be considered in conjunction with measures required to meet other policies within the UDP.
14.33 Relevant examples include: the requirement to set aside adequate land for landscaping or as accessible public open space, in Policy GR5 and Policy GR6, which can be found in Section 8 of the UDP; the requirement to minimise disturbance and nuisance to agricultural uses, in Policy AG1, which can be found in Section 12; and the requirement to provide a "buffer zone" to prevent damage to sites of nature conservation value, in Policy NC5, which can be found in Section 13 of the Plan.