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General Planning Issues |
Current Government planning policy states:
1. PLANNING AND CONSERVATION
1.1 It is fundamental to the Government's policies for environmental
stewardship that there should be effective protection for all aspects
of the historic environment. The physical survivals of our past
are to be valued and protected for their own sake, as a central
part of our cultural heritage and our sense of national identity.
They
are an irreplaceable record which contributes, through formal education
and in many other ways, to our understanding of both the present
and the past. Their presence adds to the quality of our lives, by
enhancing the familiar and cherished local scene and sustaining
the sense of local distinctiveness which is so important an aspect
of the character and appearance of our towns, villages and countryside.
The historic environment is also of immense importance for leisure
and recreation.
( from PPG
15 - Department of the Environment, Planning Policy Guidance, Planning
& The Historic Environment )
Para 4.6 of the same document also states "....The Courts
have held that it is legitimate in appropriate circumstances to
include within a conservation area the
setting of buildings that form the heart of that area (R v Canterbury
City Council ex parte David Halford, February 1992; CO/2794/1991).
" This is of particular relevance in this situation, as
the Greenbank Hotel's developers proposals affect the historic setting
more than simply altering a listed structure (although they do intend
to build on a listed structure).
Para 4.19 goes on: "...The Courts have recently confirmed
that planning decisions in respect of development proposed to be
carried out in a conservation area must give a high priority to
the objective of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance
of the area. If any proposed development would conflict with that
objective, there will be a strong presumption against the grant
of planning permission...."
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