South Ayrshire Local Plan

General Residential Development Criteria

The Council is concerned to ensure that all future housing development is of a high quality in terms of safety, amenity, accessibility, sustainability, layout and design. These principles are advocated throughout the Council’s area as a matter of course, not just for greenfield sites, but especially where development may have an affect on established residential areas. Proposals which threaten the character or amenity of existing residential areas will therefore be viewed as being contrary to these principles.

POLICY H5*

When considering planning applications for new housing developments, the Council will normally require that the proposals accord with the criteria set out in table II of the local plan.

TABLE II

Criteria for Housing Sites Assessment

Proposals will be expected to comply with the following:

a. ACCESS
Access, road layout and parking provision should conform with current approved Roads Development Guidelines that are in force at the time when an application is considered.

b. OPEN SPACE STANDARDS

Development proposals should comply with the Council’s supplementary policy guidance “The Provision of Private and Public Open Space and Play Areas Within Residential Areas” .

c. DESIGN AND SITING
Consideration should be given to the impact of the development on the surrounding area in terms of its layout and form and the textures and colours of construction materials.

d. UTILITY SERVICES
All residential developments will require to meet the standards of all statutory undertakers and utility service providers.

e. LANDSCAPE/NATURAL AND BUILT HERITAGE/CONSERVATION
Important landscape features such as mature trees and watercourses, should be retained. There should be sufficient distance between such features and any development to ensure their setting and protection. Development should respect nearby buildings and/or structures of architectural or historic interest in terms of their character and location.

f. VISUAL IMPACT
The visual impact of a development should be considered when assessing the site’s ground conditions, gradient and views both near and far.

g. CRIME PREVENTION
The design and layout of development should provide a clear definition of public and private spaces, a network of well surveilled and appropriately lit pedestrian and cycle routes through the site including any areas of public open space and children’s play areas which should be naturally surveilled by surrounding homes.

h. LANDSCAPING
All developments should provide an integrated hard landscape and planting scheme of preferably native species, to the satisfaction of the Council. Development on the edge of settlements should ensure that a long term defensible boundary is created by structural landscape planting.

i. BARRIER FREE DESIGN
Consideration should be given to aspects of access to and around property, for the disabled.

j. AFFORDABLE RENTED HOUSING
Development proposals should seek to provide the optimum mix of housing tenure in accordance with the Public Sector, Affordable and Special Needs Housing section of this Plan.

k. ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Consideration should be given to incorporating principles and features for energy conservation.

Note Where proposals comprise a small scheme, particularly within an urban setting the Council may exercise discretion in the application of certain criteria in Table II

The following policies H6 and H7 seek to ensure that every opportunity to make the housing environment more attractive is realised.

POLICY H6

Within settlements, residential development and the conversion of properties considered by the Council to be suitable for residential use will normally be permitted subject to:

The site having a vehicular access, of adequate standard, separate from other property and which directly connects to the public road network; and

The layout, density, plot ratio, scale, form and materials of any proposed development not detracting from the character of the surrounding buildings and the locality; and

The privacy and amenity of existing and proposed properties not being adversely affected; and

The site does not form an area of maintained amenity or recreational open space unless already identified as contributing to the established housing land supply; and

The provision of an acceptable residential environment/ amenity being provided; and

Private and public open space provision reflecting and enhancing the current provision, amenity and density of surrounding properties, and in conformity to the Council’s adopted open space guidelines.

POLICY H7

Within areas predominantly in residential use as identified on the Proposals Map, the Council will seek to protect the character and amenity of the area concerned, especially from non-residential development with potentially adverse effects on local amenity.