SP5 - Development in the Countryside

Comment

All those sites mentioned above I feel give Fareham that green and a change from the large areas of buildings that are either side of Fareham ie Southampton, Portsmouth. These give Fareham a green lung and not a continuation of rows and rows of buildings whether residential or commercial in either city.

PO16

Comment

"Policy SP5 should also include protection of the views from the water in the same way as CS14 in the current Core Strategy (""In coastal locations, development should not have an adverse impact on the special character of the coast when viewed from the land or water."")"

SO31

Comment

[Southern Water] Southern Water is the statutory wastewater undertaker for the whole of Fareham Borough, and supplies water to the western half of the Borough. Southern Water understands Fareham Borough Council's intention to protect the countryside from development, and notes that Peel Common Wastewater Treatment Works (WTW), which treats wastewater arising from Fareham Borough, as well as several pumping stations, are included in the area designated as countryside. Whilst Southern Water appreciates that there is, as stated in paragraph 4.36, flexibility in these policies 'to support the provision of essential services' - and considers wastewater treatment qualifies as an 'essential service' - Policy SP5 stipulates 'essential services for rural communities' (our highlight). It is felt that this definition has the potential to restrict Southern Water from delivering essential infrastructure to serve new and existing development, since its essential services whilst potentially requiring a countryside location, are utilised throughout the Borough. Paragraph 116 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) establishes that development should be permitted in designated areas in exceptional circumstances, where it can be demonstrated that the proposal is in the public interest. This approach is further supported by paragraph 118, which describes the principle that development should be permitted, if the benefit outweighs any harm. Provision of sewerage and waste water infrastructure would be in the public interest, as it would serve both existing and new development. Also there are limited options available for the location of new water or sewerage infrastructure (e.g. a new pumping station) due to the need to connect into the existing network, so it is considered that the provision of water or wastewater infrastructure constitutes ‘exceptional circumstances’. The National Planning Practice Guidance recognises this scenario and states that ‘it will be important to recognise that water and wastewater infrastructure sometimes has needs particular to the location (and often consists of engineering works rather than new buildings) which mean otherwise protected areas may exceptionally have to be considered’. We would therefore suggest the following minor amendment to Policy SP5 as follows: Proposals for development in the countryside which have a genuine and proven need for a countryside location, such as that necessary for agriculture, forestry, horticulture, as well as essential services for rural communities, will be supported, subject to their location, scale and design.

BN2