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12 Public and Community Services |
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Introduction |
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12.01 |
Public and Community Services include services such as telecommunications,
water, electricity and gas and facilities such as schools and public halls. They
are services that are vital to the social and economic well being of the
residents and community. Businesses and bodies outside the control of the
Council provide the great majority of these services. |
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Key Objectives |
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To promote sustainable development by ensuring adequate provision is made for
improvements to existing infrastructure to meet the needs of development without
harm to the environment or quality of life in the District.
To promote the retention and provision of new community facilities and services
at the neighbourhood level within our Towns, Rural Centres and Villages. |
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Public Utilities |
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12.02 |
Public Utilities include water drainage, sewage disposal, energy, communications
and emergency services. The provision of these may affect the type, location and
amount of new development that can be accommodated. Public utilities will have
been considered in locating the development proposals in this Plan. Utility
companies being land users, need their plans for development to be taken into
account. |
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12.03 |
Utilities often need rural or countryside locations. If so, it is important that
its impacts are minimised. Siting and appearance can reduce the impact of
otherwise intrusive development. |
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POLICY PCS1
Proposals for the provision of new utility facilities will be encouraged
provided that:
a) if sited outside the defined boundaries of settlements, a suitable
alternative site within the built up area is not available; and
b) there would be no unacceptable impact on residential amenity, landscape,
wildlife, ecological or archaeological interest. |
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Overhead Electricity Lines |
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12.04 |
Local Authorities are not responsible for determining applications for new
electricity lines. This lies with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
They are however a statutory consultee. Should a Local Authority object to any
such proposal this would usually prompt a public inquiry to be held by the
Secretary of State. |
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12.05 |
Overhead electricity transmission lines, particularly pylon supports, by their
very nature are visually intrusive. The Council will therefore seek to minimise
their effect by encouraging, where practical, routes where the lines can be more
easily assimilated into the landscape. |
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POLICY PCS2
The erection of overhead electricity lines, particularly in the Quantock and
Mendip Hills Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, will be resisted unless there
is no reasonable alternative. Where no reasonable alternative exists, the lines
should not intrude upon open skylines and be located parallel and adjacent to
field boundaries or other physical features. |
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12.06 |
Existing overhead service lines, principally electricity wires but also
telephones cables, often detract from the appearance of open landscapes and
historic townscapes. A more attractive environment can be achieved by
undergrounding existing cables. However, locations which are valued for their
ecological and archaeological importance may be irreversibly damaged by
undergrounding and where such locations are identified, they should be avoided
at the route planning stage. In other locations where under-grounding is
proposed, works should be preceded by an environmental appraisal in order to
minimise any detrimental impact on the local, natural or historic environment.
There are significant practical, technical and cost disadvantages associated
with the undergrounding of high voltage power lines, those over 275Kv and over.
Undergrounding will therefore only be sought in exceptional circumstances.
Careful line routing will usually be the most appropriate way to minimise their
visual impact. |
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POLICY PCS14
The undergrounding of existing service lines will be encouraged as part of
environmental improvement schemes, subject to minimising any detrimental impact
on the local, natural or historic environment. |
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12.07 |
Overhead electricity transmission lines and their pylon supports are visually
intrusive in built-up areas, the lines are often noisy and the electromagnetic
fields that surround them can cause radio interference. |
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12.08 |
The Council recognises that there is some public concern about living and
working close to sources of electromagnetic fields such as overhead electricity
lines. Where applications for development close to overhead electricity lines
are submitted, the Council will take into account guidance from the National
Radiological Protection Board, the Governments advisory body on non-ionising
radiation. |
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12.09 |
The Council will expect developers to take into account the presence of any
overhead lines and design the layout to take account of the amenity of future
occupiers of properties. The Council will encourage uses such as car parking,
roads and areas of informal open space or landscaping directly beneath or
immediately adjacent to any overhead line. |
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POLICY PCS3
The Council will have regard to advice of the National Radiological Protection
Board in determining planning applications for development close to overhead
lines. |
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Telecommunications |
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12.10 |
Telecommunications, because of the nature of development and growth in
facilities, require particular attention. The Government encourages the growth
of telecommunications in order to improve business and domestic communications,
which it regards as essential to the functioning of a modern economy. It
nevertheless, recognises the need to preserve the national heritage and does not
wish to see the appearance or character of buildings, towns, villages and
countryside suffer damage as a consequence of such development. Some small-scale
telecommunication is permitted under the General Permitted Development Order.
There is a requirement that it shall be removed after it is no longer needed and
that the land be restored. However, large scale structures or groups of smaller
structures may require permission. |
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POLICY PCS4
Proposals for telecommunications development will be permitted, taking account
of the limitations imposed by the nature of the
telecommunications network and technology, provided that all the following
criteria are met:
a) evidence is provided regarding the need for the proposed development;
b) there will be no serious adverse effect on the character and appearance of
the area;
c) it can be demonstrated that existing masts, suitable existing buildings or
structures cannot be used for that purpose;
d) the proposal would not detract from the character or setting of a
Conservation Area or Listed Building; and
e) there would be no unacceptable adverse impact on residential amenity.
Within the Quantock and Mendip Hills Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and
other environmentally sensitive areas, proposals for telecommunications
development will only be acceptable where they would provide an essential link
in a national network and where it can be shown that no suitable alternative
site exists. In such cases measures will be required to minimise any adverse
impact. |
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Energy |
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12.11 |
Renewable energy is obtained from naturally occurring resources, for example
solar, water or wind power, energy from plant material, or from recycling waste.
The development and use of renewable energy can be achieved through both small
and large innovative schemes, for example from domestic and solar panels to wind
farms. The costs and benefits of developing renewable energy sources will need
to be balanced against a range of planning and environmental criteria, for
instance, local physical and visual effects, needs of nature conservation, the
need to reduce consumption of non-renewable resources and the need to reduce
pollution. |
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12.12 |
The Council will encourage the development of alternative sources of renewable
energy where this does not cause unacceptable harm to the environment, unless
there are overriding reasons of public or national interest. |
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POLICY PCS5
Proposals for the development of the sources of renewable energy schemes,
including wind power, will be permitted provided that all the following criteria
are met:
a) are sited and designed so as to minimise their impact on the landscape,
utilising landscape features;
b) will not have an unacceptable impact on the character or setting of a
settlement;
c) will not lead to an unacceptable level of nuisance by reason of noise,
safety, shadow flicker, electro-magnetic interference or reflected light.
Particular attention will be given to the impact on dwellings and other
regularly occupied premises;
d) will not unacceptably affect the character or setting of a Listed Building,
Conservation Area or a scheduled ancient monument; and
e) will not unacceptably affect a site designated for its ecological or
archaeological value either during or after construction.
Within the Mendip and Quantock Hills Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty,
proposals for the development of renewable energy schemes will only be
acceptable where it is in the public or national interest and it can be shown
that no alternative site exists. |
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12.13 |
The layout, siting and design of buildings can have a marked impact on their
energy efficiency. The orientation of dwellings to maximise passive solar gain
can reduce the need for energy derived from fossil fuels. Similarly, the
avoidance of particularly cold or windy sites or the creation of more sheltered
micro-climates, can minimise the amount of energy needed. Traditional building
designs and urban layouts will often have taken energy conservation into
account. |
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12.14 |
Buildings account for almost half of the United Kingdom’s delivered energy
consumption and associated emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas
causing climate change. Action by Planning Authorities to increase energy
efficiency can complement building regulations and the wide range of other
initiatives. |
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POLICY PCS6
Development will only be permitted where it is demonstrated that energy
efficiency has been taken into account in the design, layout, siting and
construction of the proposal and the use of landscaping and that all measures
which are practicable are included as part of the scheme. |
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Community Facilities and Services |
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12.15 |
Community facilities and services include public halls, schools, places of
worship, libraries, museums, crèches, day centres, healthcare uses and public
houses. They make a vital contribution to the social and economic life of the
community, are especially important for elderly and disabled people and for
those who do not have easy access to private or public transport. Proposals for
new or enhanced community facilities are assessed under
Policy RLT14, whilst the
retention of community facilities and services are addressed under
Policy PCS7
below. |
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12.16 |
The Council will resist proposals that would result in the erosion of community
facilities and services, unless it can be clearly demonstrated that there is no
long-term requirement for their retention. In the case of a commercial venture,
the applicant will need to satisfy the Council that the existing use is no
longer commercially viable and where a business is continuing to trade, that a
genuine attempt has been made to market the enterprise as a going concern. |
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12.17 |
Shops and post offices, especially in rural areas, are important to communities.
Policies for their retention and improvement are set out in the Shopping and
Town Centre Chapter (Policy SH11). |
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POLICY PCS7
Planning permission for proposals that would result in the loss of community
facilities and services will be refused unless:
a) there are appropriate alternative facilities locally;
b) the proposed use would be of equal or greater community benefit;
c) the existing use is no longer viable; and
d) where planning permission is granted for the change of use of an important
facility, conversion works should be such
as not to preclude a later reversion to the original use. |
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12.18 |
The potential extension of existing community facilities and educational
facilities will be facilitated where the need for expansion can be demonstrated.
In such cases, government guidance along with
Policy STR3 of the Local Plan will
be key in providing the relevant advice. |
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POLICY PCS8
The extension of existing and the provision of new community facilities and
education facilities will be encouraged. Where a shortfall in community
facilities has been identified, the provision of facilities and/or safeguarding
sufficient land for the provision of such facilities to satisfy that need will
be encouraged. Exceptionally, where no site within a settlement can be found, a
site may be permitted adjoining a settlement. |
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Education |
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12.19 |
The Local Education Authority (Somerset County Council) has been consulted on
the future needs for additional school capacity. A new primary school is to be
provided as part of the South Bridgwater developments (Proposal H55). This will
provide for the additional children from this development and replace the
existing school at Somerset Bridge, Bridgwater. |
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PROPOSAL PCS18
Land is allocated for a primary school (2 hectares) at Dawes Farm, Bridgwater
(as defined on the Proposals Map) (Link
to Map 1 Central). |
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12.20 |
The Education Authority will require additional primary and secondary school
capacity for the housing development proposed in this Local Plan. For all large
sites (normally 50 dwellings adjusted to take account of different dwelling
mixes, the particular circumstances of local schools and the cumulative impact
of sites) a contribution will be sought to additional education facilities where
there is insufficient capacity at nearby schools. Circular 1/97 states that the
provision of educational facilities may be sought by planning obligations. |
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12.21 |
In addition to the requirements for school capacity that arise from new
housing proposed in the Local Plan, the Education Authority has identified a
need for additional or extended playing fields at Fairlands Middle School and
Kings of Wessex Community School, Cheddar and Blake School, Bridgwater, Brent
Knoll Primary School and North Newton Primary School. It is appropriate that
these requirements are reflected in the Local Plan. |
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12.22 |
If land is not required for an extension of playing fields at Kings of Wessex
Community School, Cheddar (on a site north of the River Yeo), the site would be
appropriate as public open space. The site adjoins an area proposed in the Plan
as public open space (Proposal RLT8). |
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POLICY PCS9
Where a proposal for residential development creates a need for necessary,
relevant and reasonable educational infrastructure provision, a planning
obligation will be sought to meet that need. The scale of contributions sought
will relate to the scale of need arising from the proposed development. |
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PROPOSAL PCS11
Land is allocated for educational purposes (as defined on the Proposals Map) at:
a) Fairlands Middle School, Cheddar (Link
to Map 3 East);
b) Kings of Wessex Community School, Cheddar (Link
to Map 3 West);
c) Brent Knoll Primary School (Link
to Map 6 East);
d) North Newton Primary School and (Link
to Map 36)
e) Blake School, Bridgwater (Link
to Map 1 Central). |
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Pollution Control |
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Sewage Treatment Works |
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12.23 |
The Districts main urban areas and most villages are served by mains drainage,
but some villages and the remoter rural areas are not. All new development will
be required to provide satisfactory means of foul drainage disposal.
Policy CNE8
in the Countryside and Natural Environment Chapter will ensure that no
development will have detrimental impact within SSSI’s. Ground conditions and
water surface levels in the Levels and Moors are a particular problem and
therefore, septic tanks are not normally acceptable in these areas. |
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12.24 |
Sewage treatment works can be “bad neighbours” because of smell, particularly
for housing. It is prudent to control the kind of development permitted close by
to treatment works. Wessex Water have identified zones around sewage treatment
at Bridgwater, Cannington, Cheddar, East Lyng, Mark, Nether Stowey/Fiddington to
address this problem. Wessex Water, the Environment Agency and the Council’s
Environmental Health Department will be consulted on any proposal for housing or
other odour sensitive developments close to sewage treatment works. |
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POLICY PCS12
Proposals for housing and other odour sensitive developments close to sewage
treatment works will only be permitted where it can be demonstrated that they
will not result in unacceptable living or working conditions for the occupants
of those developments. |
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Hazardous Installations |
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12.25 |
Certain sites and pipelines are designated as notifiable installations by virtue
of the quantities of hazardous substance present. Under the Planning (Hazardous
Substances Act) 1990, hazardous substances consent is required for storage or
use of a hazardous substance in amounts at or above its controlled quantity.
This is in addition to normal planning controls, aimed at keeping these
separated from housing and other land uses with which such installations might
be incompatible from the safety viewpoint. The Council will consult the Health
and Safety Executive, as appropriate. |
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12.26 |
The area covered by this Local Plan already contains a number of such notifiable
installations. Whilst they are subject to stringent controls under existing
health and safety legislation, it is prudent to control the kinds of development
permitted in the vicinity of these installations. For this reason the Council
has been advised by the Health and Safety Executive of consultation distances
for each of these installations. In determining whether or not to grant planning
permission for a proposed development within these consultation distances, the
Council will consult the Health and Safety Executive about risks to the proposed
development from the notifiable installation. |
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POLICY PCS13
Planning permission will be refused for development involving the storage or use
of a hazardous substance, where it will be in close proximity to housing or
places of work and in any other situations where the safety of the public or
environment will be put at risk. When considering proposals for development in
the vicinity of installations involving hazardous substances, the Health and
Safety Executive will be consulted and their views taken into account. |
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Noise Pollution |
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12.27 |
Noise is an important environmental factor which can affect people’s health as
well as the quality of their lives. The adverse affects of noise does not depend
solely upon its loudness. The character of the noise is a very important factor,
as well as psychological factors such as the hearer’s disposition to the noise
source. Noise sensitive development should not be permitted in a locality which
has, or is likely to have, an unacceptable noise climate. Particular land uses,
such as dwellings, schools, hospitals and similar institutions are sensitive to
noise. They should therefore be separated from major sources of noise pollution. |
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12.28 |
The degree of noise experienced can have a considerable impact on the way in
which a place is experienced. Many parts of the District have a tranquil
character and persistent noise would unacceptably affect them. These areas
should be protected from activities that would generate persistent or disruptive
noise. |
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POLICY PCS15
Noise generating development will not be permitted if it would:
a) be liable to unacceptably increase the level or disruptive character of noise
experienced in any area to the detriment of its character; or
b) be liable to unacceptably increase the noise experienced by the users of
existing or proposed noise sensitive development to the detriment of those
users.
Noise sensitive development will not be permitted if its users would be
unacceptably affected by noise generating uses. |
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Land Affected by Contamination |
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12.29 |
Brownfield land should be re-used for building wherever possible in order to
minimise pressure for the development of greenfield land.
Previously used land may have been contaminated by its previous use and may need
to be made safe, to a suitable level, for a new use. Contamination may put at
risk the people working on a site, the occupiers and land users of buildings and
land, and the buildings or services themselves. Contaminants may also escape
from a site causing water pollution or pollution of land nearby. Risks
associated with contamination need to be identified early in the development
process so that the choice of new use is appropriate to the degree and type of
contamination and the cost of remedial action. An assessment of any site where
contamination is suspected should therefore be carried out by the developer, in
advance of the granting of planning permission. |
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POLICY PCS16
Where development is proposed on or near a site where there is known to be, or
there is a reason to believe there may be contamination, a site assessment will
be required prior to the grant of planning permission, in order to establish the
nature and extent of the contamination. Development will not be permitted unless
sufficient information is provided and practicable and effective measures are
taken to treat, contain or control any contamination so as not to:
a) place the occupiers of the development and neighbouring land users at risk
from the contamination;
b) threaten the structural integrity of any building on or adjoining the site;
c) lead to the contamination of any water course, water body or aquifer or allow
contamination to continue;
d) lead to the contamination of adjoining land or allow such contamination to
continue; or
e) lead to the release of contamination to the air. |
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Light pollution:- Outdoor Lighting and
Floodlighting |
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12.30 |
Light pollution is not a “statutory nuisance” but there is growing concern about
the effect of excessive or intrusive artificial lighting. Particular concerns
are the loss of dark night skies and therefore, impaired visibility of
astronomical features (e.g. the Milky Way) and also local nuisances arising from
the glare of intensive or poorly directed lighting. Floodlighting of buildings
such as churches and other buildings of architectural significance, is often
installed to add night-time visual interest but, the potential adverse impacts
of such schemes, particularly in unlit rural areas, should also be considered. |
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POLICY PCS17
Development that includes floodlighting or other external lighting, will only be
permitted if it is shielded to minimise the escape of light upwards and into
areas where it is not required. Permission will not be granted if the proposal
would:
a) be intrusive in an unlit rural area and/or
b) adversely affect local amenity by virtue of the intensity, direction or hours
of lighting and/or
c) adversely affect road safety. |
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