We believe that the above approach acknowledges the exceptional
circumstances that justify a more realistic calculation of needs (a
flexibility that is stated in paragraph 61 of the NPPF). The
exceptional circumstances include the following:
• The falling population of the Borough (a 0.5% drop from 2011
to 2021) suggests a lower household forecast.
• The constraint that a large percentage of the
Borough’s rural area that is in the Green Belt (approximately
50%).
• The number of new dwellings built in the Borough in excess
of the targets in previous years (32% over the target from the
2018-19 year to the 2020-21 year) and the fact the housebuilding
has exceeded the increase in households over the past 10 years in
the Borough.
• The negative effect that largescale housing would have on
the character of, and wildlife in, our rural areas. Also, the
adverse impact that it could have on some rural parishes’
Defra urban/rural classification.
This ePetition ran from 27/01/2023 to 26/01/2024 and has now finished.
1857 people signed this ePetition.