Proposed limit on Density in section 3.14 and App.11 is unduly restrictive
The Draft CDP includes section 3.14 which proposes that in future applications for on-off rural house will be assessed by Planners on the basis of the density of houses in the area being less than the following-
"In general, SRDDs of less than 15 units per square kilometre will be
acceptable.
In very enclosed landscapes with well-defined hedgerows and/or mature
trees, which would partly screen or enclose one-off houses, RRDs of c. 15 –
25 per square kilometre may be open for consideration7.
Where the RRD exceeds 25 units per square kilometre there will be a
presumption against further one-off houses."
This new provision is very restrictive. Refering to App.11, it is proposed that density be assessed by counting the houses in a 564m radius circle centred on the proposed site. If the site is on a straight road, this circle will include 2X564 = 1128m of road, but most roads are curved or have junctions, so most circles would have at least 1250m of road. Under Ribbon Devlopment guidelines, 5 houses per 250m = 20 houses per km = 25 houses in 1250m; but new rule would only allow 15 houses (unless very well screened). But if the site was at a crossroads, there would be 2.5km of road in the circle, so Ribon Development Guidelines would allow 50 houses. The new Density rule is therefore much more restrictive, and in many cases will allow less than half the number of houses that old CDP allowed.
The fact is that many areas of traditional settlement already have house numbers well above the 15/25 per km2 limit, so the new rule would force people to look for sites in open country rather than near their rural family home. In the current market, this would be unaffordable for many rural dwellers, who could only afford to build on family owned land near their original parents' home.