Policy PD-P7

Support small scale developments that enable the identified needs of local people to be met in terms of provision of affordable housing, maintaining and enhancing local community amenities and services. Housing need and affordable housing need within the AONB should be based on robust evidence of local need arising from within the AONB. The extent to which the AONB is required to accommodate objectively assessed needs arising from outside the AONB should be limited. Any such development should be in sustainable locations with good access to services where landscape capacity and opportunity to conserve and enhance the protected landscape can be demonstrated. Exception sites for affordable housing related to any settlement within the AONB should be identified in the light of a “landscape-led” comparative analysis of alternative sites to ensure that only the most appropriate sites are brought forward.  

Provided that this does not impact upon the qualifying features of the SAC or SPA from land take or changing land use.