DNP1: A Spatial Plan for the Parish

Policy DNP1: A Spatial Plan for the Parish

Inappropriate development will not be supported within the Metropolitan Green Belt and the High Weald National Landscape (AONB). The focus for new development in the Parish of Dormansland will be on reusing brownfield land and on realising other suitable development opportunities within the defined village envelope for Dormansland, as shown on the Policies Map. Focusing development here will contribute to retaining Dormansland village’s status as a sustainable location and reinforce the objectives of protecting Green Belt land and conserving and enhance the High Weald National Landscape. Development outside the defined village envelope boundary for Dormansland village will only be supported if it accords with national and development plan policies relating to the Green Belt and the High Weald National Landscape.

The policy establishes the essential spatial principles for development across the designated Neighbourhood Area. In doing so, it provides a policy bridge between the vision and objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan and all its other policies.

Critical to the success of the village will be maintaining its identity as a rural village within the Green Belt. There remain many opportunities within the village to reuse brownfield land (previously developed land) that will likely become available in the plan period, and potentially the utilisation of Grey Belt land.

The policy therefore requires that proper attention is given to prioritising and realising opportunities as they arise within the village of Dormansland rather than utilise Green Belt land elsewhere within the Parish. Not only is this approach more efficient in using scarce land resource, but it will avoid creating unsustainable patterns of growth, poorly located from established infrastructure and therefore car dependant.