West Wiltshire District Council


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Chapter 2 - Policies for the Environment

2.2	Green Belt
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	Western Wiltshire Green Belt
	GB1	The Western Wiltshire Green Belt is defined on the Proposals Map. Where the outer boundary follows the general direction of a highway, but is shown as being some distance from that highway, the outer boundary is set at a distance of 90 metres from the edge of the carriageway nearest to the Green Belt boundary.

2.2.1	The area northwest of Trowbridge, as identified on the Proposals Map, is part of the Western Wiltshire Green Belt which in turn forms part of an extensive Green Belt around Bristol and Bath. The purpose of the Green Belt is to check the unrestricted sprawl of urban development, particularly that of Bristol and Bath but also other towns and villages within or adjacent to the Green Belt; to safeguard the surrounding countryside against further encroachment; to prevent the coalescence of Trowbridge and Bradford on Avon and to preserve the special historic character of Bradford on Avon.
2.2.2	The towns and villages in this part of the District are in some cases only separated by two or three miles of open countryside and are in danger of coalescence. Pressures for development are particularly acute between Bradford on Avon and Trowbridge and the villages and hamlets between Bradford on Avon and Bath.
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	Control of Development in Green Belt
	GB2	In the Western Wiltshire Green Belt, approval will not be given, except in very special circumstances, for development other than:
		The construction of new buildings:
		(a)	for the purposes of agriculture, forestry
		(b)	providing essential facilities for outdoor sport and outdoor recreation, cemeteries and other uses which preserve the openness of the Green Belt
		(c)	for limited affordable housing schemes for local community needs in accordance with Policy H22.
	(ii)	The re-use of buildings provided:
		(a)	it does not have a materially greater impact than the present use on the openness of the Green Belt
		(b)	that the buildings are capable of conversion without major reconstruction and are of permanent and substantial construction
		(c)	the bulk, form and general design of the buildings are in keeping with their surroundings
		(d)	any extension to the re-used buildings and any associated uses of land surrounding such buildings do not conflict with the openness of the Green Belt and the purposes of including land within it.
	(iii)	Change of use of land which maintains the openness of the land and does not conflict with the purposes of including such land in the Green Belt.
	(iv)	The limited extension and/or alteration of existing dwellings provided it does not result in disproportionate additions over and above the size of the original building.
	(v)	The replacement of existing dwellings provided the new dwelling is not materially larger than the dwellings to be replaced.
	Appropriate development proposals in the Green Belt will be permitted subject to consideration of their environmental, amenity and highway implications.

2.2.3	The objectives of the District Council, in maintaining and preserving the Western Wiltshire Green Belt are:-
	(i)	to prevent the coalescence of Bradford on Avon with Trowbridge and the outlying villages to the east of Bath and;
	(ii)	to maintain the open character of the undeveloped land adjacent to Bath, Trowbridge and Bradford on Avon and;
	(iii)	to protect the setting and historic character of Bradford on Avon.
2.2.4	The District Council recognises that the Green Belt contains a number of rural buildings in agricultural and other uses which may appropriately be reused and could provide an opportunity for farmers to diversify their enterprises or provide accommodation for small firms. The re-use of buildings will be permitted as set out in Policy GB2 unless there are specific reasons for refusal which cannot be overcome by the use of conditions.
2.2.5	The District Council in seeking to protect the Green Belt from inappropriate development will have regard to the environmental impact of any outdoor sport and recreation proposals. Special consideration will be given to traffic generation, access, noise, visual intrusion, the protection of better quality agricultural land and impact on the natural environment. The District Council will expect buildings constructed in support of outdoor sports and recreation use to be small scale, ancillary and unobtrusive in character. The District Council will encourage the use of redundant buildings in the Green Belt to accommodate outdoor sport and recreation facilities.
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	Safeguarded Land - Bradford on Avon
	GB3	Land will be safeguarded to meet the longer term development needs of Bradford on Avon beyond the period of the Wiltshire County Structure Plan 2011 within the area to the east of Bradford on Avon as defined on the Proposals Map. Development will not be permitted except in special circumstances for purposes other than agriculture, forestry, outdoor sport and recreation, cemeteries and other uses appropriate to a rural area.

2.2.6	The inner boundary of the Green Belt around Bradford on Avon encloses an area of land on the eastern side of the town between that boundary and the existing built-up area of the town. This area is excluded from the Green Belt to safeguard land which may be required to meet longer term development needs beyond the Structure Plan period to the year 2001. The District Council has assessed the housing land supply available in Bradford on Avon relative to the District Plan strategy, the overall land supply and the role of the town in accommodating new development and considers that there is insufficient justification to warrant the release of the safeguarded land during the period to 2011. Therefore, the District Council will continue to safeguard land for future development that may be required beyond 2011 and in the meantime, other than in special circumstances, the only acceptable proposals will be those which are appropriate within the Green Belt itself.




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