Policy PG 10: Infill villages
- In the other settlements and rural areas, the following settlements are defined as infill villages: Acton; Adlington; Arclid; Ashley; Astbury; Aston; Brereton Green; Church Minshull; Cranage; Eaton; Gawsworth; Hankelow; Hassall Green; Henbury; High Legh; Higher Hurdsfield; Higher Poynton; Hough; Langley; Lawtongate and Lawton Heath; Lyme Green; Mount Pleasant; Mow Cop; Over Peover; Pickmere; Plumley; Rainow; Rode Heath; Scholar Green; Styal; Sutton Lane Ends; The Bank; Winterley; Wybunbury; and Wychwood Village.
- Infill villages have a defined village infill boundary, as shown on the adopted policies map, but are within the open countryside and do not have a settlement boundary. Some of the infill villages are also within the Green Belt, as shown on the adopted policies map.
- Limited infilling will be supported within the village infill boundaries. Limited infilling is defined as the development of a relatively small gap between existing buildings. Limited infilling will only be permitted where it:
- is in keeping with the scale, character and appearance of its surroundings and the local area;
- does not give rise to unacceptable impacts; and
- does not involve the loss of undeveloped land that makes a positive contribution to the character of the area.
- Outside of the village infill boundaries shown on the adopted policies map, development proposals will not be considered to be ‘limited infilling in villages’ when applying LPS policies PG 3 and PG 6.
Supporting information
2.9 LPS Policy PG 6 ‘Open countryside’ defines the open countryside as the area outside of any settlement with a defined settlement boundary and seeks to restrict development to that which is essential for uses appropriate to a rural area. The policy makes a number of exceptions to this general restriction, including “where there is the opportunity for limited infilling in villages”.
2.10 Under LPS Policy PG 3 ‘Green Belt’, limited infilling in villages is not inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
2.11 to LPS Policy PG 6 also confirms that settlement boundaries will be reviewed and defined through the SADPD and neighbourhood plans. Settlements in the principal towns; key service centres; and local service centres tiers of the settlement hierarchy have a defined settlement boundary and development proposals will be supported in accordance with other policies in the development plan.
2.12 In the other settlements and rural areas tier of the settlement hierarchy, settlements do not have defined settlement boundaries, unless identified by a made neighbourhood plan. Settlements without defined settlement boundaries are included in the open countryside.
2.13 This policy clarifies which settlements are considered to be villages for the purposes of limited infilling allowed under LPS policies PG 3 and PG 6. Outside of the village infill boundaries shown on the adopted policies map, proposals will not constitute ‘limited infilling in villages’ for the purposes of these policies. Other forms of development in the Green Belt and open countryside outside of village infill boundaries will still be supported, in accordance with other policies in the development plan.
2.14 Where neighbourhood plans allocate sites for development, it would usually be expected that these would fall within an existing settlement or infill boundary, or a new/revised settlement or infill boundary as defined in the neighbourhood plan.
Related documents
Policy information
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