Page 214 - MJC submissions

21. Section 106 Agreement – A binding agreement between the Council and a developer on
the occasion of granting a planning permission, regarding matters linked to the proposed
development. Used to secure matters necessary to render planning applications acceptable
by offsetting the costs of the external effects of development e.g. on local schools, which
could not be secured through the imposition of planning conditions
22. Sustainability – The creation or maintenance of conditions that fulfil current and future
economic, environmental and social requirements.

23. Sustainability Appraisal – Sustainability Appraisal is a tool for appraising policies to ensure
that they reflect sustainable development objectives (i.e. social, economic and
environmental factors). It is required under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act to
be carried out on all Development Plan Documents and Supplementary Planning
Documents.

24. Sustainable Development – Development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The National
Planning Policy Framework places a requirement on local planning authorities to
positively seek opportunities to meet the development needs of their area and guide
development to sustainable solutions.
25. Objectively Assessed Need – The total amount of housing that would be needed to meet,
as a minimum, expected levels of growth in population over the plan period. This level of
growth expected should take into account demographics (i.e. birth/death rates and
migration) and other signals that could influence future trends in demographics
26. I appreciate that there are inherent conflicts between maximising opportunities for and
returns from development and preserving cherished environments: between design and
density, amenity and utility. There is also a potentially perverse financial incentive for
LPAs to approve applications with a view to benefitting from the Community
Infrastructure Levy (CIL). I am not saying this is the case here.

27. Note from the report on character assessment…… The high Weald area of outstanding
natural beauty identifies a number of key issues affecting the future of which the following
are relevant to Ashurst Wood:
28. the erosion of character as a consequence of development which fails to respect the AO
NB character in terms of scale, form, design and materials

29. Under the NPPF, neighbourhood plans are required to demonstrate that a proposed
development responds to a local and legitimate need; that dwellings are built in the right
place, of the right type and size, and are supported by a commensurate infra-structure.
30. The AWNP, like all local plans, was driven by an assessment of Objectively Assessed Need
(OAN) for 62 new dwellings between 2015 and 2031 and Sustainability Appraisals that
identified sites suitable for development. Ashurst Wood is a Category 3 village for
planning purposes. DdHa xxxx compared….. already overdeveloped. It should not be
a dumping ground to resolve shortages in adjacent planning areas.
31. The Steering Group – responsible for preparing the AWNP - concluded that there were 27 Page 8
qualifying households on council house waiting lists; only 8 of which made the village
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Plans theories and Objectives\CONSOLIDATED SUBMISSIONS\4a Mr Ashcroft 7th Dec
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