Plaistow and Ifold Parish Council is supportive of Policy NE10, Development in the Countryside; however, respectfully draws attention to its concern that the Plan does not unambiguously set out, in a strategic policy, that development in the countryside - and especially in the North of the Plan Area -will only be sustainable at the level of development proposed and where development “requires a countryside location”.

Policy 45, ‘Development in the Countryside’ within Chichester’s currently adopted Local Plan 2014 – 2029 includes the overarching proviso that development proposed in the countryside “requires a countryside location”, before proceeding to recite the other criteria that apply.

Policy NE10 does not include this requirement.

In Policy 45 of the currently adopted Local Plan, development within the countryside would not be considered unless a justification for a countryside location (or this location, which happens to be in the countryside) is made out.

The Council notes that within other policies of the draft Plan e.g., policy E2, ‘Employment Development’ a requirement for a countryside location is included.

Were it to be included in NE10, it would reinforce the spatial distribution policy for new housing, by providing an additional clear indication that residential development, to ‘grow’ rural settlements, is unacceptable unless it has unambiguous community support and benefits.

There is supporting text to this effect, but in our view it is not fully reflected in policy wording. In particular, Policy NE10 should make clear that residential development in the countryside is unsustainable and will therefore be resisted except in the very limited circumstances allowed by the Plan and national planning policy.

Plaistow and Ifold Parish Council respectfully suggests that the policy should include the requirement that the development needs a countryside location and meets an essential, small scale, and local need, which cannot be met elsewhere.

The Parish Council suggests that the wording within Policy 45, Development in the Countryside of the current adopted Local Plan 2014-2029 should be inserted into emerging Policy NE10: -

“Within the countryside, outside Settlement Boundaries, development will be granted where it requires a countryside location and meets the essential, small scale, and local need which cannot be met within or immediately adjacent to existing settlements.”