Purpose Question Assessment

Prevent the merging of settlements Question 1A: Are there physical features to prevent the merging of settlements and does the land contribute to maintaining the open and undeveloped character of the land? Answer 1A: The land has hedgelines and trees along the North, East and South boundaries however does not possess clear physical features to prevent the merging of settlements. The land is undeveloped, and with the exception of pockets of vegetation has an open character. The gradient of the land rises to the South however this may not necessarily be a feature preventing development. Although not in the parcel itself, the built-up area surrounding and near to the land has increased over time. The housing immediately to the West was developed between 2018 and 2020, the permission of which resulted in a reduction in the size of Parcel A following the Green Wedge review carried out for the Development Plan DPD 2019. Similarly, development of the County Hall MUGA and car park extension also reduced the size of the parcel following the review and DPD process.