TDRA Tenterden Sites Submitted Assessment 2024 (ABC Local Plan 2041)
The Tenterden and District Residents’ Association (TDRA) Committee has undertaken a comprehensive review of the Tenterden Sites Submitted for the ABC Local Plan 2041 with professional guidance from our planning consultant Tony Fullwood Associates.
Tony Fullwood Associates have advised on the criteria to appraise the suitability of sites but have had no involvement in any of the site assessments which have been conducted by members of the Tenterden Residents Association.
Link: https://www.tdra.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-Tenterden-Site-Submissions-Assessment.pdf (opens in new tab/window)
The comments below should be read with our assessment schedule and ensure that this document has used relevant planning policy to determine our objective conclusions. We have released this information to the public domain to inform residents in their responses to this vital consultation. Tenterden will be under pressure to accept more development and we must manage this growth in a sustainable manner – so please have your say – the louder our voices are the more likely we are to be heard.
The following Policies have been used to underpin this assessment:
- Ashford Borough Council Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA)
- The NPPF
- Local and Neighbourhood Plan policies
Each site has been objectively assessed for constraints and opportunities with our summary and conclusion to the bottom of the schedule.
This will be submitted to ABC and TTC to be considered in their review.
Flooding
There are very few areas close to the built-up boundary of Tenterden which are located within Flood Zones 2, 3a and 3b and this criterion is unlikely to be triggered by most sites. Nevertheless, it has been retained for the one or two which may contain a small area of these flood zones. If the site is partially within one of these flood zones it has been recorded as Partial. Local knowledge has been used to record local concerns regarding surface water drainage.
Heritage
Objectives measures can be recorded. None of these necessarily prevent development but are a factor in achieving a suitable design.
Biodiversity
The ABC SHEELA, 2017 Part 1 Screening stated that sites in the borough within the ecological and landscape categories below will not pass through Part 1 screening of the assessment process:
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
- Ancient Woodland (AW)
- Local Wildlife Sites (LWS)
Landscape
The location of the site within the High Weald National Landscape (formerly AONB) or named Landscape Character Area can be recorded.
Major development is not appropriate within the National Landscape and any smaller scale development would have to conserve and enhance the landscape and scenic beauty of the designated area.
There is no current designation of a Special Landscape Area within Ashford Borough. SLAs are not supported in the NPPF, and use of Landscape Character Areas is now preferred.
Development of sites within the Clapper Hill Wooded Farmlands Landscape Character Area should be able to maintain the landscape character of, and not have a detrimental impact on, the landscape. In accordance with the Neighbourhood Plan, this means maintaining and, where possible, reinforcing such features as the intimate small-scale field pattern, woodland, the strong matrix of hedgerows and hedgerow trees, field ponds and slow flowing streams.
Within the Biddenden and High Halden Farmlands and Woodchurch Undulating Farmlands Landscape Character Areas development should be able to maintain the distinctive landscape features of these areas including drainage ditches and numerous field ponds, species rich hedgerows with a large amount of holly, extensive tracts of broadleaf and mixed woodland across the slopes, pastoral land use, vineyards with vines and hops, narrow winding enclosed lanes and scattered traditional buildings and farmsteads. Please note as a guide, the Inspector into the Limes Land appeal considered that the proposed development could be integrated into this landscape.
Development of a site within an Important View designated in the Neighbourhood Plan is unlikely to maintain the distinctive views of the surrounding countryside from the public vantage point and would therefore be considered inappropriate.
Open Space
The ABC SHEELA, 2017 stated that development of sites that would result in the loss of formal public open space, playing fields and allotments will be removed from assessment in their screening.
Five Sports and Recreation Grounds and nine Local Green Spaces are protected by the Neighbourhood Plan and housing development on such sites would be inappropriate.
Access
It is important to assess the accessibility of a site to key facilities. The ABC SHEELA, 2017 lists GPs, schools, local shops and bus routes. Given the importance of green spaces in the Tenterden Neighbourhood Plan, we added accessibility to public open space to this list.
- Proximity to Town Centre (metres)
- Proximity to Primary School (metres)
- Proximity to Secondary School (metres)
- Proximity to bus stop (metres)
- Proximity to GPs (metres)
- Proximity to public open space (metres)
It is possible to measure the nearest point of any site to the nearest point of the named facility via the road or footpath (in the case of the Town Centre the Town Centre boundary in the Neighbourhood Plan can be used).
In judging the accessibility of the site to the named facilities, the following guides to a suitable distance could be used:
SUSTRANs recommend accessibility standards based on 800m walking and wheeling distances to key services (this would include the Town Centre, schools and GPs) and 400m to bus stops.
In relation to open space, Natural England ANGSt standard recommends that in respect of natural green space, smaller spaces of at least 2 hectares in size should be no more than 300 metres from home and only larger spaces of 20+ hectare site could be 2km from home.
The Borough Council’s Public Green Spaces & Water Environment SPD recommends a distance of 400m to children and young people’s play space.
As these distances act as broad guidance, a site which is within or reasonably close to the guidance, would be classified as accessible to the facility. However, similar to the ABC SHEELA, 2017 Part 2 screening, using this broad guidance, greenfield sites that are assessed to be within the countryside and too far removed from a settlement and facilities to contribute to a sustainable community can be considered to be inappropriate.
Go to https://haveyoursay.ashford.gov.uk/lp-explained-events to have your say (link opens in new tab/window).
