BASE HEADER

No

ID sylw: 108239

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Persimmon Homes (South Midlands)

Asiant : Pegasus Group

Broad support is provided in principle for the protection and provision of different typologies of open space, with support for this found within the NPPF. However, Paragraph 103 stipulates that planning policies relating to open space must be underpinned by robust and up-to-date assessments of need, and such assessments have not been undertaken to date. This is acknowledged to an extent by the Councils, in stating that technical evidence is lacking to determine thresholds for open space provision. There is still a considerable amount of work required to ensure that the evidence exists to formulate a fully justified and sound policy.

Where open space cannot be provided on-site, the Councils propose that a contribution will be requested to enhance or provide open space within 400 metres of the development. There may not always be scope for this, and thus this figure should only serve as guidance; the policy should read “within 400 metres of the development where possible”.

The policy direction states that multi-use games areas (MUGAs) will be requested as part of all major development sites. In line with the definition in the glossary of the NPPF, a major residential development comprises 10 dwellings or more; a development of 10 dwellings is unlikely to generate the need for a new MUGA. Therefore, the policy should be amended to
clarify that this requirement is only applicable to larger-scale major development (e.g. 100+ dwellings), providing that the evidence on need exists to justify this.