The Barn & Equestrian Facilities, Commonmead Lane, Old Sodbury PROFESSIONAL PLANNING APPRAISAL
(b) the buildings are in keeping with their surroundings in terms of character, form,
bulk and overall design; and
(c) the proposal(s) is of a scale which is consistent with its function, use and rural
location.”
3.12 The explanatory text to the policy is also helpful in relation to holiday lets, where it
notes that: -
“With respect to the conversion of existing rural buildings, where it can be
demonstrated that a business use of some description, including other tourism
related activities, cannot be achieved, conversion for holiday accommodation
would be preferable to a permanent residence in more remote locations, where
this would take pressure off other housing in rural areas for holiday accommodation.
Where buildings are to be used for holiday accommodation only, the Council will
impose conditions restricting occupancy.”
3.13 There is also some limited potential to look at the erection of new buildings for
business, including tourism such as additional holiday lets, within the equestrian
paddock. This area of development is governed, once again, by policy PSP28 –
Rural Economy. In this location (outside of the Green Belt), the key considerations
are listed above in the quoted policy, but summarised as (i) how connected the site
is to existing settlements, (ii) the scale, design and character of the proposed
buildings, and (ii) the impact of any new development on the AONB landscape. In
terms of the latter, please see Constraints section, below.
3.14 Finally, as the site is within open countryside, but is not isolated or remote from a
settlement i.e. the site is <500m from the Old Sodbury settlement boundary; there
could also be some limited scope to research the possibility of a Rural Housing
Exception Site. This essentially allows for affordable housing development to take
place where normal market housing would not normally be approved. The
Council’s policy CS19, is listed in full below.
“Proposals for permanent affordable housing to meet an identified local need
(including a small element of market housing where this will facilitate the successful
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