Sway Village Design Statement addendum
Summary
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October 2019 Addendum
Sway Village Design Statement SPD (September 2013)
The NPPF confirms Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) can be used to provide further guidance for development on specific sites, or on particular issues “such as design”. The National Park Authority has adopted a number of SPDs to add further detail to policies within the statutory development plan.
The National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG) section on ‘Plan-making’ provides further guidance on the role of SPDs, stating:
- SPDs should build upon and provide more detailed advice or guidance on policies in an adopted development plan.
- As they do not form part of the development plan, they cannot introduce new planning policies into the development plan.
- They are however a ‘material consideration’ in planning decision-making.
Planning case law confirms that the weight afforded to SPDs by the decision-maker (whether that is Authority officers for delegated decisions, members of the Authority’s Planning Committee or the Planning Inspectorate for appeals) is proportionate to the degree of consistency between the SPD and the statutory development plan policies.
At the full National Park Authority meeting on 10 October 2019, members unanimously endorsed a report setting out the weight to be afforded to adopted SPDs as material considerations in future planning decisions. It was resolved that the Sway Village Design Statement SPD (September 2013) can continue to be given weight as a material planning consideration, as set out below.
Sway Village Design Statement SPD (September 2013)
| Main Core Strategy policy ‘hooks’ |
Policy DP6: Design principles Policy CP7: The built environment Policy CP8: Local distinctiveness |
|---|---|
| Main Local Plan (2019) policy ‘hooks’ |
Policy SP16: The historic and built environment Policy SP17: Local distinctiveness Policy DP18: Design principles |
| Conclusion on weight |
The Sway Village Design Statement SPD provides more locally specific design guidance to supplement the development plan policies and the Park-wide supplementary guidance contained within the Design Guide SPD (2011). Given the continued emphasis on reinforcing local distinctiveness and good design within the Local Plan (2019), there continues to be a strategic policy hook for the production of local design guidelines. The NPPF (2019) also emphasises the need for the design of new development to take account of the views of the local community (paragraph 128); and for local planning authorities to improve the design of new development through design advice. It is therefore concluded that the Sway Village Design Statement SPD should continue to be given weight as material planning considerations. It is recognised that the weight given to the Village Design Statement by the decision-maker will be proportionate to the consistency with the policies in the Local Plan (2019). |