Gilbert Scott House, Flax Bourton PROFESSIONAL PLANNING APPRAISAL
3. CONSTRAINTS
3.1 The property is located outside of a designated settlement boundary and within the
statutory Green Belt. Both National 1 and local 2 planning policy and guidance seeks
to protect the Green Belt from inappropriate development. When considering any
planning application, local planning authorities (LPAs) are required to “ ensure that
substantial weight is given to any harm to the Green Belt ” 3 .
3.2 National guidance states that there are types of development within the Green Belt
that are not considered inappropriate, including, inter alia, partial or complete
redevelopment of previously developed land (which would not have a greater
impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the existing development), and the
re-use of buildings provided that the buildings are of permanent and substantial
construction i.e. conversions.
3.3 Local planning policy echoes this approach, and in terms of the first point above,
clarifies that redevelopment proposals will be supported if they (i) do not extend
beyond the footprint of the existing buildings unless the proposal by virtue of its
height or location on the site would have an equal or lesser impact on the Green
Belt than the existing buildings; and (ii) are sustainable in terms of being well related
to existing settlements, and having safe and convenient pedestrian and cycle
access to services, amenities and a bus or rail service.
3.4 The site is not within a conservation area and the property is not a listed building.
However, it adjoins the Grade II Listed Coroner’s Court and Mortuary (formally Long
Ashton Magistrate's Court ) and given the proximity, forms part of the listed building’s
setting.
3.1 Planning legislation 4 requires LPAs to “have special regard to the desirability of
preserving the [listed] building or its setting .” The NPPF requires that great weight is
1 Nation Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, February 2019) 2 North Somerset Council Core Strategy (April 2012) and Sites and policies plan part 1: development management policies (July 2016) 3 NPPF, Paragraph 144 4 Sections 16 and 66 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
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