We have submitted a formal response to proposals for 4 houses on Green Belt land near to Ware Park Manor.
Our objections to the proposals are based on the Neighbourhood Plan, specifically:
- We object to this proposed development on the basis that it does not meet the requirements of Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan Policy HBN2: Important Views.
- Paragraph 4.16 of the Neighbourhood Plan states: – “Protecting special views from inappropriate development, particularly in the rural areas at the
northern end of the Ward, will help preserve its character and aesthetic appeal.” - Neighbourhood Plan Policy HBN2 identifies eight views as ‘Important Views’, one of which is View 4: Watermill Lane North towards Ware Park Manor. Policy HBN2 states: – “If a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment and/or a Landscape Sensitivity and Capacity Assessment, as required by Policy DES2 of the East Herts District Plan, reveals a harmful impact on those views as a result of the proposal, the development will only be permitted where
appropriate mitigation measures can be delivered”. - The Planning Statement issued on behalf of the developers seeks to imply that the Neighbourhood Plan and local planning policy is “out of date’. The Neighbourhood Plan policy remains in full force and is in no way ‘out of date’. It is misleading to the planning committee to seek to imply this.
- Paragraph 4.33 of the Planning Statement asserts that the proposed development “does not interrupt View 4 and will not have a harmful impact on View 4”. View 4, as depicted in the Neighbourhood Plan, and the opinions of neighbouring residents who have submitted objections to this application, show that this open field contributes substantially to the character of both the local area for adjacent residents, and the surrounding area of Bengeo. The proposed development would clearly, and very substantially, harm Neighbourhood Plan View 4 for the general public as well as for the immediate residents.
- We also consider that a development on this site would have a detrimental impact on the openness of the Green Belt.
After appropriate review by the committee, it is concluded that this proposed development is not consistent with the Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan.
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