Support

Representation ID: 5920

Received: 08/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Tom Tagg

The LCA is an excellent document and I fully support its approach and purpose, namely:
• The landscape character approach considers that all landscapes are valuable and seeks to protect their essential character.
• The purpose of landscape character assessment is to help ensure that change and development does not undermine whatever is characteristic or valued about a particular place and ensure that ways of improving the character of a place can be considered.
• 1.4 The revised NPPF, published in June 2019, states at paragraph 170 that: “Planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment…”
• 1.5 The LCA helps meets the principles and requirements of the NPPF. It recognises the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside and values of the landscape and will enable planning to take account of the different characters of the landscape within the borough.
Area 1D Thurleigh Clay Farmland is of particular relevance to the proposed Dennybrook development:
• 1D2 notes that the area is dominated by arable farmland with a few scattered woodlands (including ancient woodland) giving some variety, and crowning the horizon in long views across the level fields. The large fields are bounded by hedges and ditches, ….. Tributary valleys cross the area to the east forming a focus for settlement of scattered farmsteads and small villages ….. A network of quiet rural lanes connects the settlements and provide an important resource for informal recreation.
• 1D3 notes that farmland habitats include arable field margins, hedgerows, ponds, ditches and improved grassland. …. Wetland habitats include minor tributaries of the River Great Ouse, woodland and farmland ponds and field ditches. Remnant areas of unimproved grassland persist, for example, along road verges …
The overall Landscape Strategy for Thurleigh Clay Farmland character area is to:
• Enhance the elements of the landscape which are in declining condition or detract from the rural character, in particular the hedgerows and hedgerow and field trees.
• At the same time conserving and enhancing the open rural landscape with its scattered small scale settlements and farmsteads, and historic earthworks and ancient woodlands of high biodiversity value.
• 1D.1.34: Conserve the character of the rural roads and limit urbanising influences – widening/kerbing and ensure that traffic management measures are sympathetic to the rural character.
The Development Guidelines at 1D.1.35-37 are therefore to:
• Resist any development that will result in further loss/fragmentation of hedgerows and hedgerow trees…
• Conserve the scattered farmsteads and historic villages… and the views to the stone churches.
• Retain the individual settlements avoiding merging these through linear development…
The Dennybrook development of 10,800 houses and 20,000+ cars will entirely destroy all the aspects of the area that the LCA recommend are retained, maintained and enhanced. Gone will be the farmland, the open character and views. The scattered farmsteads and historic villages will be swallowed up. Gone will be the biodiversity and wildlife. Gone will be the quiet rural roads. This will all be in direct contravention of the NPPF at para 170.