Draft Gamlingay Village Design Guide SPD

EDWARD SILLS TRUST
We act on behalf of Edward Sills trust and object to the draft GVDG in respect of land adjacent Green Acres, Gamlingay, SG19 3LR on the following grounds:

Chapter 4 of the GVDG in relation to t Landscape Setting has a map which designates the land as no3 fields to edge of the brook as being a sensitive village edge. Within guidance section 4.3 sets out 'The area bounded by the brook...to the south west edge of the village has a sensitive and distinct landscape character which should be maintained'.
This site is within the Greensand Ridge Landscape Character Area which is a swath of land on the Beds border, described as, 'This is a very small character area associated with the undulating dip slope of the lower greensand ridge. It is drained by small streams and there are some locally steep slopes. The fairly wooded landscape is interspersed with med sized arable fields, small areas of pasture and market gardening. There are also small areas of remnant parkland and heath. Despite the presence of some worked out gravel pits, the area retains a predominantly rural character.

The land is only visible from the end of green acres and is bound by significant trees and hedgerow along the side and rear boundaries and there is nothing remarkable or out of the ordinary associated with the site as set out in the landscape area. There is no explanation of how the sensitivity has been assessed and by what criteria, therefore the basis for this guidance is unfounded.
The local plan identifies important countryside frontages which are protected because of their significance. This land is not designated under the criteria and the proposal is introducing a designation which should be addressed through the Local Plan process. the 'Note to the Reader' section of the VDG sets out that the SPD will be a material consideration in the determination of planning apps in Gamlingay and goes onto say that the SPD cannot make new planning policy, however, what is being proposed would create new planning policy contrary to the purposes of the SPD.