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ID sylw: 107068

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Cotswolds National Landscape Board

Intro summary: The potential allocations include New Settlement E1 - Long Marston Airfield, which would be adjacent to the CNL at its closest point. The settlement would accommodate nearly 10,000 homes and cover an area of approximately 750ha.
We recommend that this site should not be taken forward, at least not in its entirety, for the reasons outlined below.
The new settlement would be clearly seen in elevated views from public rights of way on Meon Hill, in the CNL. The section of the new settlement that is closest to the CNL, Meon Vale, is already developed. As such, the visual impacts are less significant than would be the case if this was a greenfield site. However, the scale and extent of proposed development means that there are still likely to be adverse visual effects on the CNL. An even more significant issue is likely to be the resulting increase in traffic movements on roads through - and along the boundary of the CNL. We also have concerns regarding potential impacts on the dark skies and cultural heritage of the CNL.

We recognise that there may still be some additional development at Meon Vale (including the Rail Innovation Centre) and within the existing settlement boundary of Long Marston Airfield. Appropriate landscape mitigation measures should be implemented to mitigate any adverse impacts on views from the CNL.

Full response:
No, the Cotswolds National Landscape (CNL) Board does not agree with the approach laid out in Draft Policy Direction 2 - Potential New Settlements. Our position, in this regard, relates specifically to New Settlement E1 (Long Marston Airfield). We do not agree with the proposed New Settlement E1 being considered for inclusion in the plan, at least not in its entirety.
We acknowledge that it might be appropriate to identify and consider one or more new settlements in the most sustainable locations, as proposed in Draft Policy Direction 2. However, as outlined in more detail later in our response, we are concerned about the potential impacts of New Settlement E1 (Long Marston Airfield) on the natural beauty of the CNL.
In this regard, it is worth noting that the Sustainability Appraisal states that:
•New Settlement E1 is identified as the worst performing new settlement against landscape. New Settlement E1 is likely to result in adverse impacts on the local landscape character, views from the PRoW network and coalescence. Additionally, New Settlement E1 is likely to result in significant adverse impacts on the Cotswold National Landscape and its setting
, which is located 45m from the new settlement.9 (N.B. Underlining added for emphasis).
In particular, we consider that New Settlement E1 is likely to have an adverse effect on:
•the scenic beauty of the CNL, particularly with regards to impacts on views from the public rights of way on Meon Hill;
•the tranquillity of the CNL, particularly with regards to increased traffic movements on roads through - and along the boundary of - the CNL of New Settlement E1 on views from (and to) the CNL;
•the setting of the scheduled monument on Meon Hill (a multivallate hillfort);
•the dark skies of the CNL.
We recommend that further assessments should be undertaken in this regard.
If a revised iteration of New Settlement E1 is taken forward, we recommend that there should be no coalescence (i.e. no built development) between Meon Vale and Long Marston Airfield. Development should also be avoided that would create a sense of coalescence with Lower Quinton and / or Upper Quinton. Ideally, development should not extend eastwards or northwards of Long Marston Airfield. The quantum of development should be at a level where the resulting increase in traffic movements on roads through - and along the boundary of - the CNL would not exceed 10%.