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13 Green Belt and countryside
13 Green Belt and countryside
National policy
13.1 Planning policies should recognise the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside and the wider benefits from natural capital and ecosystem services. Policies should avoid the development of isolated homes in the countryside unless for essential rural workers, enabling development to secure a heritage asset; re-use of redundant or disused buildings and enhance the immediate setting; sub-division of existing dwellings or exceptional new dwellings. Rural tourism and leisure developments are supported where they respect the character of the countryside.
13.2 National planning policy attaches great importance to Green Belts with the fundamental aim of preventing urban sprawl and keeping land permanently open. Green Belt boundaries should only be altered where exceptional circumstances are fully evidenced and justified through a plan. Changes to the NPPF in 2024 weakened Green Belt protection through the requirement to meet local housing need; the introduction of grey belt and relaxation of what constitutes inappropriate development.
Evidence base
Key issues
- The policy will need to reflect the chosen spatial strategy in relation to defining the extent of countryside through the policies map and approach to Green Belt review.
- Protecting the quality of the borough’s environment.
- Are other forms of development acceptable in the countryside? e.g. renewable energy, exception sites. Is rural tourism/leisure fully reflected?
- Ensuring redevelopment of previously developed land in the countryside does not lead to the loss of buildings important to rural character.
- Ensuring development in the countryside, including on the edge of settlements, does not harm rural character or urbanise the countryside.
Current adopted policy
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Local Plan |
Policy reference |
Policy summary |
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To protect the intrinsic character and beauty of the Cheshire countryside only development that requires a countryside location will be permitted. Enabled settlement boundaries to be drawn to accommodate expansion where required. |
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Expands on replacement buildings being for same use and protecting rural character. |
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Local Plan (Part Two) |
Commercial sites in the Green Belt. |
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Local Plan (Part Two) |
Sets out the approach to residential development in the countryside including protecting rural character. |
Suggested policy approach
13.3 The suggested policy approach will need to reflect the chosen spatial strategy (see SS 5 ‘Spatial strategy options’). Current Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 9 defers to national policy in relation to Green Belt and this approach could continue if not replaced by National Development Management Policies.
13.4 The countryside of Cheshire West and Chester and the high quality of its landscape and environment is recognised as a key asset and is highly valued by the borough’s residents. The quality of the environment attracts a highly skilled workforce, businesses and visitors therefore it is important to continue to protect this asset.
13.5 Policies that designate the countryside and the Green Belt are required to enable the designations to be shown on the policies map, as the policies map is not a development plan document but illustrates geographically the application of the policies in a Local Plan.
13.6 Local Plan (Part Two) policy GBC 1 identifies large scale commercial and employment sites located in the Green Belt. It is proposed that the sites listed are now separated out and included within the relevant Chester and Ellesmere Port sections. If required, current policy wording in Local Plan (Part Two) policy GBC 1 will be replicated into the policy for the specific site.
13.7 There is an option to split the policy as some users of the plan have found it confusing that the current policy applies to areas that can be in both the countryside and Green Belt.
GB 1
Green Belt and countryside
Countryside
The suggested approach includes the potential to add in other uses appropriate to countryside but will need to ensure the protection of the intrinsic character and beauty the borough’s countryside.
In addition, it will need to ensure that the protection of rural character is picked up in any update to Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 9, or elsewhere, to incorporate elements of Local Plan (Part Two) policies DM 1 and DM 19 (rural character/not urbanise) and that replacement buildings should be for the same use unless policy compliant.
The supporting text to Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 9 can be amended to delete reference to settlement boundaries and Local Plan (Part Two) as going forward the new Local Plan will be prepared as a single plan.
Green Belt
The current Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 9 may need to be updated if required to set out approach to grey belt and to reflect Green Belt review evidence (to be prepared) in terms of overall approach and to inset areas/washed over settlements.
The supporting text to Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 9 can be reduced as does not need to quote NPPF or to refer to future work in Local Plan (Part Two).
Delete Local Plan (Part Two) policy GBC 1 and cover the commercial sites listed in the policy within the Chester and Ellesmere Port policy sections of the plan, retaining policy requirements if relevant to the site.
Question GB 1
Do you agree with the suggested policy approach towards Green Belt and countryside, as set out in GB 1 ‘Green Belt and countryside’ above? If not please suggest how it could be amended.
Question GB 2
Should there be a separate policy for countryside and Green Belt areas?
Question GB 3
Are any other uses appropriate in the countryside that should be reflected in the policy?
Question GB 4
Should the policy limit redevelopment to that of the same use and other policy compliant development?
Question GB 5
How else can rural buildings, rural character be protected to and prevent new development harming the intrinsic character through ‘urbanising’ the countryside?