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Planning application at The Knapp

Stroud District Council has received a planning application to develop 35 homes at The Knapp. Previous applications on this site have been unsuccessful. Minchinhampton Parish Council is objecting to this proposal. The main grounds for objection are: The site is outside the settlement boundary, within the Cotswolds AONB and on the skyline, with long ranging views across open countryside. The development proposed would be harmful to the character and appearance of the area and would fail to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of the AONB. It is therefore in breach of Stroud Local Plan Policy HC1, ES7, CP14 and CP15. It is also contrary to the Policies in paragraph 172 of the NPPF, which recognises the highest status of protection for an AONB. The application is based on the misleading claim that 156 units are needed. The independent housing needs assessment, conducted by Gloucestershire Rural Community Council for Minchinhampton’s NDP in 2016, assessed a requirement for 24 units. The application is speculative and at odds with the emerging Stroud District Local Plan, which identifies a site at Glebe Farm, closer to the town centre, to meet Minchinhampton’s share of the District’s additional housing requirement. It is in breach of Stroud Local Plan Policy CP1 and CP3, which stipulate sustainable development in line with the NPPF and provide a clear hierarchy for development within the District. The development risks damage to protected open spaces, in the shape of Besbury Common, two-minutes walk away, within the SSSI protected Commons. This is in breach of Stroud Local Plan Policy ES6. The development will put increased pressure on the already dangerous and sub-standard traffic junction between the Knapp and Cirencester Road. The development will also endanger walkers, cyclists and horse-riders, who use the Knapp as a quiet lane. The application is at odds with Minchinhampton’s NDP, which it does not reference. If you would like to comment on or object to this application, please visit https://www.protectourspace.org/knapp-2021.html 

Thank you

2 thoughts on “Planning application at The Knapp”

  1. how can i reiterate the concerns listed above to the planning dept? i live opposite the field and object to productive agricultural land being desicrated for no other reason than the profit motive of developers,

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