Model Planning Objection
This is a model planning objection tailored to Bushby (Edge-of-Settlement/Greenfield) situations. It will also apply to other local ‘off plan’ speculative applications such as the land south of Gartree Road.
- Principle of Development – Location Outside the Existing Settlement
The application site lies outside the existing built-up area of Bushby and therefore conflicts with the plan-led approach to development set out in the Development Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
While national policy allows flexibility in certain circumstances, development beyond the established settlement should only occur where it is clearly justified and demonstrably sustainable. In this case, the proposal represents a significant expansion beyond the settlement edge, rather than a limited or proportionate extension.
Approval of development in this location would undermine the distinction between the built-up area and the surrounding countryside, contrary to the objectives of settlement hierarchy and spatial strategy policies.
- Greenfield and Countryside Impact
The site comprises undeveloped greenfield land, which performs an important role in:
- Maintaining the rural setting of Bushby
- Preventing outward sprawl from the Leicester Principal Urban Area
- Preserving openness and landscape character
The loss of this land would result in permanent harm to the character and appearance of the countryside. Such harm cannot be fully mitigated by landscaping or buffers, particularly given the scale of the proposed development.
The NPPF is clear that the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside should be recognised and protected. This proposal conflicts with that objective.
- Settlement Boundary Integrity and Precedent
Although it is acknowledged that planning permission does not formally alter settlement boundaries, approving a development of this scale outside the existing settlement would:
- Create strong pressure to realign settlement boundaries in future plan reviews
- Weaken the ability of the local planning authority to resist subsequent applications on adjoining land
- Lead to incremental and unplanned expansion beyond the established settlement edge
The Council has a duty to avoid decisions that pre-empt or undermine the Local Plan-making process, particularly where alternative sites and strategies are being considered through that process.
- Scale and Proportionality
The scale of the proposed development (approximately 900 dwellings) is disproportionate to the existing settlement of Bushby and would fundamentally alter its character and role within the settlement hierarchy.
Rather than representing a natural or logical extension, the proposal would result in a step-change in scale, effectively creating a new urban area beyond the settlement, which should only be considered through a strategic allocation in an adopted or emerging Local Plan.
- Prematurity and Plan-Led Decision Making
Harborough District is currently preparing a new Local Plan. Determining a large, strategic housing proposal in advance of that process risks:
- Pre-judging spatial strategy decisions
- Limiting the Council’s ability to consider alternative locations
- Undermining community participation in plan-making
The proposal is therefore premature, given its scale and potential long-term implications for settlement form and growth patterns.
- Conclusion
For the reasons set out above, the proposal conflicts with the Development Plan and the objectives of the NPPF. The adverse impacts of developing greenfield land outside the existing settlement boundary would significantly and demonstrably outweigh any benefits, particularly when considered in the context of maintaining a plan-led system.
The application should therefore be refused.
