8. THE DISTRICT VILLAGES 8.1 Population About 10% of the Borough's population lives in the seven rural parishes. Population figures from the 1991 census are given below:- Village No. of Persons Cottingham 913 East Carlton 285 Gretton 1195 Middleton 302 Rockingham 127 Stanion 839 Weldon 1520 TOTAL 5105 8.2 Housing There are about 2200 dwellings in rural parishes There were an average of 15 house completions per year in the late 1980s and about one-third of the completions were located in Gretton and Weldon, the two largest villages. 8.3 Structure Plan The Alteration to the Structure Plan proposed 500 new dwellings in the villages over the period 1988-2006. About 28 house completions per year are required to meet this target. 8.4 Land Availability & Outstanding Commitments 26 houses were built in the two years 1988-1990, and the residual allocation of 474 dwellings will include sites that already have planning permission, together with houses currently under construction as shown below:- Number of Dwellings With Permission Under Construction Gretton 18 10 Weldon 59 7 77 17 Cottingham 6 2 East Carlton 0 0 Middleton 14 0 Rockingham 0 0 Stanion 14 0 34 2 TOTAL 111 19
In Gretton and Weldon there were total commitments of 94 dwellings compared with 36 in other villages. In the rural areas, there will be a mix of low and high density housing and it is estimated that the average density will be 30 dwellings per hectare. 8.5 Housing Provision in the Villages The County Structure Plan makes provision for new residential development in the rural areas to be made primarily in Limited Development Villages as defined in statutory local plans. Generally, more land is available in these villages and development can be absorbed without seriously harming the character of the village or overloading services. The Borough Council supports this approach and for this reason Gretton and Weldon have been defined as Limited Development Villages. These two large villages will be allocated most of the Borough's share of new rural housing. With the exception of Rockingham the other 8.7 villages, to a lesser or greater extent, may be able to accommodate some new housing. Development must normally be on a small scale and located within the 'confines' of the village. Proposals may include small groups of dwellings, infilling and redevelopment or change of use of existing buildings. This approach will apply to:- Cottingham East Carlton Middleton Stanion Great Oakley (rural part) These villages are defined as Restricted Infill Villages. Rockingham is of outstanding conservation importance and residential development will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances. Rockingham is defined as a Restraint Village. 8.6 General Policies The Structure Plan sets out a number of criteria against which development proposals should be judged. These criteria relate to:- - size, form, character and setting of the village, the community and local environment; - local services; - protection of the best agricultural land; - open land of particular significance. In deciding allocations for the Borough's Limited Development Villages, the following factors have also been considered: - size of the village population - availability of land and services
The 'confines' for each village are shown on the proposals map and, within the confines, open land of particular significance has been identified for protection from development. The Special Landscape Areas are also shown and, in these areas, development which does not relate to an existing village would not normally be permitted. 8.7 Village Confines The potential for housing development in each of the restricted infill villages has been assessed as follows:- Cottingham East Carlton Middleton Stanion Great Oakley very little scope for further development no scope for further development outside existing plots some scope for redevelopment and further expansion some scope for expansion but not for redevelopment or infill some very limited scope for expansion/redevelopment on the eastern side. 8.8 Housing Allocation It is necessary to accommodate about 350 houses on new sites in the villages to meet the Structure Plan target. In line with existing policies, and taking account of the size of villages, and the availability of land and services, it is proposed to allocate most of these houses at Gretton and Weldon. To avoid over-loading these villages (and Gretton in particular), a small allocation is made at Middleton. Although Middleton itself is relatively small, with about 140 houses, it is closely related to the larger village of Cottingham. This allocation enables the Local Plan to provide a range of sites available for development in the rural parts of the Borough. At Gretton, 3.4 ha. of land is allocated on three sites around the village, which would allow 102 houses to be built. At Weldon, 6.2 ha. and 186 houses are allocated. 25 houses are proposed for Middleton. About 30 houses will have to be built elsewhere, mainly in the smaller villages. These allocations are expected to provide sufficient housing in the rural areas for the period up to 2006. Weldon is a large village closely related to Corby which has the space and existing local amenities to accommodate housing of the scale proposed and to develop a balanced and viable community. Potential problems of insufficient open space, inadequacies in the sewage pumping system and traffic in the Chapel Lane/Bridge Street area are addressed elsewhere in the Local Plan. 8.9 Local Needs The Council recognises that the provision of affordable housing is important in meeting local needs in the rural areas. It may be possible to grant permission as an exception to the Local Plan Policies for such a scheme, provided that the necessary conditions and requirements are met. In particular, the Council will wish to ensure that the benefits of low cost housing are enjoyed by
subsequent, as well as the first, occupants. The use of planning agreements, as well as other management arrangements will be considered. Local needs should generally relate to the parish in which the site is located or the immediately adjacent parishes. Planning permission is likely to be granted only where:- (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) a local housing needs survey has been carried out establishing the local need for housing of the type and at the rent or price proposed; affordable housing could not be expected to be provided elsewhere in the settlement in question; the proposal is small in scale and the site adjoins the existing built-up area of the settlement; a housing association or local charitable trust will manage the dwellings and, with the landowner, enter into a planning agreement with the Council to ensure that the benefits of the affordable housing will be enjoyed by all subsequent as well as the initial occupiers. 8.10 Village and Countryside Environment The rural parts of the Borough which are of considerable importance for agriculture are also of great value as landscape and for nature conservation. In this respect, features such as hedgerows, woodlands, streams, ponds and meadows should be conserved. These features can also be found within the villages. They form a link with the open countryside, provide varied habitats for wildlife and also contribute to the special character and amenity of the village. Areas of open land of particular significance should be protected from development. Management measures which benefit nature conservation will be encouraged in accordance with the Nature Conservation Strategy. Areas of open land of particular significance should be protected from development. These areas which are identified on the Proposals Map may be on the periphery of the village as well as within the confines. The peripheral sites may form a visual or physical stop at a point where new building would create or extend a ribbon of development into the open countryside. Management measures which benefit nature conservation will be encouraged in accordance with the Nature Conservation Strategy. Village playing fields also contribute to the amenity and green open space feel of the settlement but are not expected to be under threat from development and are not specifically identified under Policy P13(V). 8.11 Planning Policies in the Villages The policies for controlling development in the villages follow the format set out in the County Structure plan. Adequate land is to be released for housing in the larger villages. This marks a change of emphasis away from infilling and towards carefully planned new development on suitable, approved, village-edge sites. Strict controls will be imposed on infill and other village sites which are not allocated for development, especially within conservation areas.
At Great Oakley the fields south of Woodlands Lane extending as far as the Borough boundary are important to the landscape setting of the village and are proposed as "Open Land of Particular Significance". This area also forms part of the Corby/Kettering Green Wedge. East Carlton is a small settlement of open form located within the Special Landscape Area. There is little scope for new housing in the village without seriously affecting its character. Because large areas of employment land are available in Corby, with sites close to both Gretton and Weldon, the Council does not wish to encourage industrial development within these villages. It is considered that the potential for environmental harm generally outweighs the benefits for the expansion of local employment. Similarly, in the smaller villages, the Council's prime objective is to conserve the environment and residents' amenities so that new business and industrial development will only be permitted where there are very special circumstances. At East Carlton, because of the size and scale of the village and at Rockingham with its special character, business and industrial development would not generally be appropriate. The Council believes that a careful balance between growth and conservation must be obtained in the villages. In accordance with this aim, it is essential that local facilities and services, including shops and community facilities, are protected and enhanced so that the quality and convenience of village life is maintained. The policies provide clear guidance for development control in East Carlton, Great Oakley and Rockingham and it would be inappropriate to identify village confines on the proposals maps. VILLAGE POLICIES Housing - Gretton and Weldon P1(V) The provision for housing development in the rural areas will be made primarily on the sites identified at the limited development villages of Gretton and Weldon. Apart from those sites proposed for development, new housing will not be permitted beyond the existing confines of the village unless under the terms of Policy P5(V). In determining proposals for development in these villages, consideration will be given to:- i) the impact of the proposal on the size, form, character and the setting of the village, and on the community and its local environment; ii) iii) iv) the ability of local services to accommodate the development; the requirements of agriculture and the need to protect the best and most versatile agricultural land from development which is irreversible; the need to protect open land which is of particular significance to the form and character of the village; v) the need to avoid a cramped form of development or one which adversely affects the setting and amenity of existing buildings or open spaces, especially where this would adversely affect the character of a conservation area. vi) The need to ensure that housing development in the villages is phased in accordance with planned improvements to the Sewage Treatment system.
Housing - Restricted Infill Village P2(V) New residential development at Cottingham, Middleton, Stanion and Great Oakley will be on a small scale and within the existing confines of the village. Exceptions to this will only be considered under the terms of Policy P5(V). Proposals for development may include small groups of dwellings, infilling and redevelopment or change of use of existing buildings. In determining Proposals for such development, consideration will be given to:- i) the impact of the proposal on the form, character and the setting of the village, and on the community and its local environment; ii) iii) iv) the ability of local services to accommodate the development; the requirements of agriculture and the need to protect the best and most versatile agricultural land from development which is irreversible; the need to protect open land which is of particular significance to the form and character of the village; v) the need to avoid a cramped form of development or one which adversely affects the setting and amenity of existing buildings or open spaces, especially where this would adversely affect the character of a conservation area. To avoid pollution, housing development at Cottingham and Middleton must be phased in accordance with the planned extension of Middleton Sewage Treatment Works. P3(V) Within the village of East Carlton, proposals for new residential development will not normally be permitted except:- i) where the site is located within an area of existing residential land use, and ii) the proposal is acceptable under the criteria listed in Policy P2 (V). Rockingham P4(V) Within the restraint village of Rockingham, planning permission will not normally be given for residential development. Exceptions may be considered where they relate to proposals for the re-use of suitable buildings, where they would be of benefit to the village environment, or for a dwelling required for agriculture or forestry. In considering such proposals, the appropriateness of the materials, design and siting will be fundamental to the granting of planning permission. Local Needs P5(V) In order to help meet specific local needs for affordable housing that would not otherwise be met, the Local Planning Authority may exceptionally consider granting planning permission on land where permission would not normally be granted. Schemes should be small scale and closely related to existing villages and be accommodated without undue harm to the environment.
It is important that schemes should ensure that the benefits of low cost housing can be enjoyed by subsequent as well as by the initial occupants. Any land released under this policy will be additional to that allocated to meet general housing demand. Employment P6(V) New business and general industrial development at Gretton and Weldon will not be permitted except where the scale and nature of the proposals are compatible with existing development in the vicinity of the site, there wilt be no harm to the village environment and the proposals are acceptable under the terms of Policy P8(V). P7(V) In Cottingham, Middleton, Stanion and Great Oakley, development for business and general industrial purposes will only be permitted where it is on a small scale and within the existing confines of the village, and there are clear benefits to local employment and no harm to the local environment. P8(V) In determining proposals for business and general industrial development, consideration will be given to:- i) the impact of the proposal on the form, character and setting of the village, and on the community and its local environment; ii) iii) iv) the ability of local services to accommodate the development; the requirements of agriculture and the need to protect the best and most versatile agricultural land from development which is irreversible; the need to protect open land which is of particular significance to the form and character of the village; v) noise emission or other forms of pollution; vi) vii) access, parking provision and the effect on the local road network; the amenity of adjoining dwellings. P9(V) At East Carlton and Rockingham, planning permission will not normally be given for business or general industrial development. Exceptions will only be considered in relation to proposals for small scale development related to the re-use of buildings whose character renders them worthy of retention and where the proposed use, form, bulk and general design of the converted buildings are in keeping with their surroundings, or for uses appropriate to villages in the rural areas, such as small scale recreation and tourism developments which would be of benefit to the village environment. In considering such proposals the appropriateness of the materials, design and siting will be fundamental to the granting of planning permission. Shopping P10(V) Proposals involving the loss of existing village shops, post offices or public houses will be resisted unless clear and convincing evidence is presented that all reasonable efforts have been made to continue existing uses.
P11(V) Proposals for new shops within the village confines will be permitted, except at East Carlton or Rockingham, provided that they cater for local needs and are acceptable under the terms of Policy P8(V). Recreation P12(V) The provision of recreational and community facilities in the villages will be supported (except that proposals for built facilities at Rockingham will only be considered following careful assessment of detailed design and materials, siting and landscaping). Environment P13(V) In order to conserve the village environment development will not normally be permitted on open land which is of particular significance to the form and character of the village. P14(V) Where new planting is to be carried out, native species should generally be used.
HOUSING LAND PROPOSALS -VILLAGES Outstanding Planning Permissions - Mid 1990 Small Sites Ref Location Ha. No. of Dwellings Cottingham 0.3 5 Gretton 0.7 10 Middleton 0.7 5 Stanion 0.2 6 Weldon 1.4 20 Conversions 0.3 5 TOTAL 3.6 51 Larger Sites H19 Stanion Road, Gretton 1.3 7 H20 58, Main Street, Middleton 0.3 9 H21 Manor House Farm, Stanion 0.7 7 H22 Rear 11 Chapel Lane, Weldon 0.5 10 H23 Adj. King s Arms, Weldon 1.4 27 TOTAL 4.2 60 Under Construction All sites 1.4 19 TOTAL COMMITMENTS 9.2 130 Sites Proposed for Housing R10 Main Street, Middleton 2.0 25 R11 Off Corby Road, Gretton 1.9 57 R12 Off Corby Road, Gretton 0.6 18 R13 Off Southfield Road, Gretton 0.9 27 R14 Ex Rimmington s Yard, Weldon 0.4 9 R15 Gretton Road, Weldon 2.3 70 R16 Chapel Road, Weldon 2.1 64 R17 Oundle Road, Weldon 1.4 43 TOTAL 12.0 325 TOTAL COMMITMENTS 9.2 130 TOTAL PROPOSALS 11.6 313 OTHER R.I VILLAGES 19 BUILT 1988-1990 2.2 26 TOTAL ALLOCATIONS 488
VILLAGE PROPOSALS PLANNING REQUIREMENTS GRETTON Land off Corby Road (R11) There are problems with water supply and with the capacity of the Sewage Treatment Works. The proposed development may also overload the sewerage system in the village and this will need to be investigated. The STW is unlikely to be improved before 1995/96 and development will have to be phased accordingly to avoid pollution. The area proposed rounds off the village without harming the appearance of the village or its setting. The size and location of the development should enable the economic provision of infrastructure and should not seriously increase vehicle movements through the village centre. The site is potentially affected by a 1951 minerals planning permission. Development will be permitted subject to the provision of a 200 metre safeguarding zone which can be enforced beyond the southern boundary of the site. The effect of this zone will be to restrict mineral working in proximity to the proposed housing development. Land off Corby Road West Hill Farm (R12) Because of the prominent location of the site special care will be needed with design, layout and landscaping. Sewage treatment constraints may also apply. WELDON Housing Proposals (R14, R15, R16) The development should be phased in accordance with provision of the proposed Longhills water supply and planned improvements to sewage pumping arrangements. Development will also be subject to a traffic study and any proposals for management arrangements will be included in a development brief. Consideration will be given, as part of the proposed traffic study and development brief, to means whereby the development of sites may assist in removing existing on-street parking from Chapel Lane and Bridge Street. Oundle Road (R17) Development will only be permitted provided that the Weldon Football Club is relocated to the proposed Weldon Country Park. A new footbridge will also be required adjacent to the Willow Brook Road bridge, to be provided by the developers. With regard to the relocation of Weldon Football Club, the Borough Council's responsibility lies in providing a site for a pitch and car park, with necessary access and British Steel has agreed to make financial provision for a replacement clubhouse and changing facilities, following the granting of planning permission for residential development and an open market offer on the existing football ground.
MIDDLETON/COTTINGHAM Land off Main Street Middleton (R10) The land straddles the parish boundary between the two villages. The Development will increase the need for local facilities and a village meeting room should be provided. Consideration should also be given to the need for small scale local sports facilities. Provision should also be made for a "village green" linking this site with adjoining land. The area covered by the proposal includes the land adjoining Lightfoot Lane although the total number of houses should not exceed 25. The whole site will be the subject of a development brief. STANION The Stanion Sewage Treatment Works is nearing capacity and will need to be improved. GREAT OAKLEY Woodlands Lane (Proposal R18) There is some potential for a small scale housing development based mainly on redundant agricultural buildings which involves a high standard of design and which takes full account of the conservation area location.