Catesby Estates object to the emerging preferred spatial options (2a-d) which all fail to identify any growth in the sustainable rural service centres.

It is essential that the chosen spatial strategy directs additional growth to the rural service centres to meet the requirements of the NPPF (in particular Paragraph 79) which states that “planning policies should identify opportunities for villages to grow and thrive, especially where this will support local services”. It is therefore essential that the spatial strategy established for the Local Plan Review realises the full growth potential of the rural villages. The benefit of such a growth strategy will be that facilities and services (such as local bus services, retail and schools) and the overall sustainability of these settlements will be maintained and enhanced.

New settlement proposals will have infrastructure, delivery and viability challenges meaning they are unlikely to deliver new housing particularly quickly. In contrast, the Borough benefits from existing sustainable rural service centres with services and facilities which can accommodate appropriate levels of new housing much faster.

A proportion of future housing growth should therefore be directed to the rural service centres. The Local Plan 2030 identified a requirement of 25-50 additional homes for each of the rural service centres. Neighbourhood Plans for some of the rural service centres have only accommodated the lowest end of this requirement i.e. 25 homes. The identified growth potential of the rural service centres is therefore still to be fully achieved.

To help support local services the chosen spatial strategy for the Local Plan Review should incorporate the development of a minimum of 50 dwellings in each of the rural service centres. This would provide clear guidance for future reviews of the Neighbourhood Plans currently in place.