BASE HEADER

Yes

ID sylw: 107073

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Cotswolds National Landscape Board

Introduction summary: The Board supports the proposal to apply a 3km buffer to the CNL. The purpose of this buffer will be to ensure that CNL considerations are adequately addressed for development proposals within this buffer zone.
We have provided a template CNL policy in Appendix 2,

Full Response:
Yes, the Cotswolds National Landscape (CNL) Board agrees with the approach outlined in Draft Policy Direction 46.
Draft Policy Direction 46 mainly relates to the proposal to create a ‘buffer zone’ around the CNL. The Board support this approach for the reasons outlined below.
Development within the setting of the CNL has the potential to adversely impact on the natural beauty of the CNL. For example, such development has the potential to adversely impact views from (and to) the CNL and / or to increase traffic movements on roads through - and along the boundary of - the CNL.
National planning policy requires great weight to be given to conserving and enhancing the landscape and scenic beauty of National Landscapes. Case law has clarified that this great weight is a relevant consideration for development within the setting of National Landscapes.89
As mentioned in the consultation document, relevant authorities have a statutory duty to seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of National Landscapes (the ‘seek to further’ duty).90 This duty also applies in relation to development in the setting of the CNL, as outlined in Defra’s guidance on the ‘seek to further’ duty.91
Further information on this topic is provided in the Board’s Position Statement on Development in the Setting of the CNL.92
Based on the above points, we consider that specifying a buffer zone around the CNL, within the Local Plan, would be an appropriate step to take. This would help to ensure that CNL considerations are taken into account for development proposals in the setting of the CNL. It would also help to ensure that the Board is consulted on relevant proposals. The thresholds above which the Board would like to be consulted, in the CNL and its setting, are provided on the Board’s website.93
What constitutes being in the setting of the CNL will depend on the development that is being proposed. However, we consider that applying a distance of 3km to the buffer will help to ensure that most relevant proposals will be identified and addressed. There may be circumstances where particularly large-scale proposals outside this 3km buffer would also be relevant but these could be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
With regards to the wider CNL policy that will be included within the SWLP, a template policy is provided in Appendix 2, below. We recommend that the Councils should incorporate this template policy into the SWLP.