The Barn & Equestrian Facilities, Commonmead Lane, Old Sodbury PROFESSIONAL PLANNING APPRAISAL
4.2 The key considerations for any new development will be the connectivity of the site
to the existing settlement of Old Sodbury, but primarily, the site’s location within the
western periphery of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB),
which is a nationally important landscape.
4.3 The Council’s Local Plan also includes a landscape protection policy, PSP2, which
specifically notes “Within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB), great weight will be given to the conservation and enhancement of the
natural and scenic beauty of the landscape whilst taking account of the
biodiversity interest and the historic and cultural heritage. Where development is
proposed in a location which would affect the setting of the AONB, it must be
demonstrated that it would not adversely impact upon the natural beauty of the
AONB.”
4.4 The AONB designation, will greatly reduce the scale and density of any
development of new buildings on the site.
4.5 All development proposals on this site will need to demonstrate, in a proportionate
manner, that they do not unacceptably impact on the protected landscape. For
modest extension(s) to the barn; these studies will reflect the scale and visibility of
the extensions proposed, i.e. a desk-top study of important views (if any) in and out
of the site, the visibility of the barn and any additions, and how the design has
successfully mitigated any impact.
4.6 For any new-build development on the equestrian facilities at the north end of the
site, which is more remote from the existing buildings on Badminton Road and Old
Sodbury itself; this study is likely to take the form of a Landscape Visual Impact
Assessment, prepared by a competent professional. The design approach would
have to take account of the protected landscape designation.
4.7 The barn conversion is largely constrained by the limits of the extant consent, in
terms of vehicular access point, parking location and the extent of the residential
curtilage allotted to the new dwelling. Keeping these elements the same with any
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