Wool Neighbourhood Plan

THE WOOL PARISH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

POLICIES

The plan has 15 policies. Listed below is a high level description of each policy, the wording of the policy and where in the plan you can find more detail.

POLICY - WOOL 1- Design Principles for New Development in Wool Parish

High level description

New buildings should be made using good quality materials that last a long time. They should also be designed to look good and fit with the style of our community.

Policy wording

Proposals for new development in Wool Parish should, through their design, have regard to the priorities to protect and enhance character set out in Table 2 in relevant character type areas identified in Figure 12 (The table and figure can be found in Sustainable Buildings and Good Design). New buildings and property boundaries should use good quality and durable materials, the details of which should be included in planning

More detail

More detail can be found in the Sustainable Buildings and Good Design chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 2- New residential development form

High level description

When new houses are built, they must fit in with the look and feel of the area. They can’t be too tall or different from the existing houses. New developments should also provide space for bins, front gardens and parking.

Policy wording

Proposals for new residential development in Wool Parish should demonstrate positive approaches to deliver good residential amenity. In setting the density, layout and massing of new developments, proposals should demonstrate how they respond to the following principles:

a) The height of new development should not be overbearing in relation to neighbouring land uses, should not result in significant harm to the character of the surroundings and should aim to create a design which respects the character of the area.

b) Where appropriate, new development should respond sensitively to changes in topography to reduce the potential for impacts on residential amenity resulting from overbearing development.

c) Private front gardens should be provided where appropriate and where they are compatible with the character of the surrounding area . Street patterns should be legible and designed to provide rear garden space where overlooking is minimised.

d) Where properties would have no rear-access, bin storage facilities should be provided at the front.

e) Car parking provision should reflect the car parking strategy as agreed by the Local Planning Authority.

More detail

More detail can be found in the Sustainable Buildings and Good Design chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 3- Improvements to the Local Environment

High level description

We want to make certain areas in our community better, such as Wool village, Braytown and the level crossing.

Policy wording

When using policies I1 and I7 of the Purbeck Local Plan 2018-2034 in the determination of relevant planning applications and to formulate investment priorities, Dorset Council should have regard to the need for improvements to the provision and management of flood protection and drainage infrastructure throughout the parish, in particular culverts, drainage channels and ponding areas important to surface water drainage functions.

Regard should also be given to opportunities to improve buildings and local environmental quality in Wool. This should include positive consideration of opportunities to improve the co-ordination and provision of facilities, buildings, surfacing, landscaping/planting, street furniture, boundary treatments, car parking, and the local public realm across Wool and in the following key locations:

a) Neighbourhood Centres in Wool Village, Braytown and Bovington.

b) Level Crossing, Wool Railway Station and its Environs.

c) Key pedestrian route along Dorchester Road.

d) The BT exchange on Station Road.

e) The D’Urberville Business Centre near to Wool Railway Station.

More detail

More detail can be found in the Sustainable Buildings and Good Design chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 4 Environmental Performance of Buildings

High level description

New and renovated buildings must be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. We encourage designs and technology that reduce energy use, lower costs, and cut pollution.

Policy wording

With reference to Dorset Council’s Sustainability Checklist, new buildings and alterations/extensions to existing buildings are expected to achieve high standards of environmental performance, including where possible in relation to listed buildings. Positive support will be given to proposals within the existing framework for the preservation of heritage assets.

New development design in Wool should be future-proofed to support the achievement of lower carbon emissions, improved energy efficiency, better heat management and lower operating costs with new heating and energy generation technologies.

Proposals for development which include the following measures will be supported:

a) Provide space within plots for heat pumps which should be positioned to ensure the amenity of occupants and neighbours is maintained.

b) Incorporate design features to maintain heat balance within buildings, avoiding external doors opening directly into living spaces.

c) Future-proofing to minimise the need for costly retrofits of new buildings.

d) Incorporate roof top solar on new homes.

e) Community energy schemes to provide heat and power to new developments.

More detail

More detail can be found in the Sustainable Buildings and Good Design chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 5 - Affordable Housing Tenure

High level description

New developments should provide homes which are as affordable as possible. Priority for the affordable homes should be given to local people, their families and people who work in the parish.

Policy wording

Affordable housing provided in Wool Parish should be secured in accordance with policy H11 if the Purbeck Local 2018-2034. Where viable, the affordable housing tenure-split should be on the following basis:

First Homes provided as the first 25% of affordable housing should be made available at the maximum 50% discount in order to be affordable to local households.

Shared equity homes should form no more than 10% of affordable housing provision in Wool Parish. Equity stakes should be set at a 10% minimum.

Social Rent and Affordable Rent should form 65% of affordable housing provision through new development in Wool Parish. Social Rented homes should be provided in larger schemes to ensure that provision is made for lower quartile income households.

Social Rented and Affordable Rented homes should be allocated in accordance with Dorset Council’s Allocation Policy. First Homes, discounted market sales housing and other affordable routes to home ownership should be prioritised for people with a local connection using the following criteria:

a) Residency in Wool Parish in 2 years or 3 years out of the last 5 years.

b) Close family continuous residency in Wool Parish (parents, siblings, non-dependent children) of 5 years evidenced.

c) Paid employment in Wool Parish of 16 hours per week average for minimum period of 1 year (including zero hours contracts).

d) Offer of permanent employment to social tenant in Wool Parish of 16 hours per week average for period no less than 1 year (including zero hours contracts) and where it is unreasonable to travel from current social housing property.

e) Location requirements - Any requirements detailed in a Section 106 Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and or a local lettings plan.

If there is no qualifying applicant, applicants will be considered from adjoining parishes using the same criteria.

If there is still no qualifying applicant, applicants will be considered from the wider Dorset Council area using the same criteria.

More detail

More detail can be found in the Housing Needs in Wool Parish chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 6 - Housing types and sizes in Wool Parish

High level description

Major housing projects should include houses of different sizes to cater to different family sizes including 1-bedroom properties to address affordability.

Policy wording

Major planning applications for new housing in Wool Parish should include balanced provision of 1 bedroom and 4+ bedroom dwellings alongside 2-3 Bedroom dwellings, to meet identified housing needs in Wool..

More detail

More detail can be found in the Housing Needs in Wool Parish chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 7 - Burial Space Provision in Wool Parish

High level description

Addresses the need for more burial space.

Policy wording

More detail

More detail can be found in the Community Infrastructure chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 8 - Protection of sites in local community use

High level description

We want to keep important places like community centres, play areas, and local shops. If a place such a local shop is going to be changed or closed, we want evidence that there’s a good reason for it.

Policy wording

Proposals that will result in either the loss of or cause significant harm to a local community facility will be resisted, unless it can be clearly demonstrated that the facility is no longer financially viable. Unless otherwise agreed agreed by the local planning authority, this will require a site to be genuinely marketed for a continuous period of at least 9 months at a price which reflects its existing or last use.

The following sites/properties are considered to be local community facilities:

a) The D’Urberville Centre, Colliers Lane, Wool

b) Wool playing field and skate park, Colliers Lane, Wool

c) Kids of Wool, Colliers Lane, Wool

d) Play area, Meadow Lane, Wool

e) Play area, Purbeck Gate, Wool

f) Play area, Burton Road, Wool

g) East Burton Village Hall, Burton Road, East Burton

h) Bovington Community Hall, King George V Road, Bovington

i) Play area, Elles Road, Bovington

j) Play area, Swinton Avenue, Bovington

k) Skatepark and MUGA, Swinton Avenue, Bovington

l) Bovington Store, King George V Road, Bovington

m) Wool Primary, Lulworth Road, Wool

n) Bovington Academy, Bovington

Applications for development to improve local community facilities, including shops, will be supported in pr99iinciple.

New residential developments within the Plan area on sites larger than 1 hectare should be planned to promote walkable neighbourhoods and active travel. Local grocery shops should exists or be provided within 800m of the whole development.

More detail

More detail can be found in the Community Infrastructure chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 9 - Priorities for new community infrastructure and services for Wool Parish

High level description

Major developments should consider how they impact our community services and include proposals to support improvements in key areas.

Policy wording

When using policies I1, I4 and I7 of the Purbeck Local Plan 2018-2034 in the determination of relevant planning applications and to formulate investment priorities, Dorset Council should have regard to the impacts from development on the capacity of community infrastructure and services in Wool Parish. Where relevant and feasible, the following priority improvements for community infrastructure priorities to increase community building, play area and sport provision should be secured:

a) The creation of a play area near Cologne Road

b) Improvements to the D’Urberville Centre including extra bookable space, improved accessibility, car park improvements, a drainage capacity increase, extra library space, enclosing the veranda and external public toilets.

c) Extended storage and parking at East Burton Village Hall

d) A heating system and additional pre-school space for the Kids of Wool building.

e) The creation of dedicated football pitches and changing facilities as an alternative to Wool playing fields. This could include athletics running track.

f) The creation of a MUGA (Multi Use Games Area) on Wool playing field.

More detail

More detail can be found in the Community Infrastructure chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 10 - Bus services for Wool Parish

High level description

Encourages the creation of new bus services that connect Bovington, Wool Station, and Dorchester.

Policy wording

To facilitate access to local employment and facilities for residents of the parish and to promote sustainable travel options for commuters, new major developments are encouraged to provide financial contributions towards the creation of a new local bus service and bus stops to connect Bovington to the Dorset Innovation Park via Wool Station and key community facilities in Wool.

To facilitate access for employment, shopping, leisure and important services, proposals for bus services to provide direct connections from Wool to Dorchester will be strongly welcomed.

More detail

More detail can be found in the Travel and Transport in Wool Parish chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 11 - Improvements to walking and cycling infrastructure in Wool Parish

High level description

Making it safer and more enjoyable for walkers and cyclists. It highlights specific areas of need such as a more direct route between Bovington and Cologne Road.

Policy wording

When using policy I2 of the Purbeck Local Plan 2018-2034 in the determination of relevant planning applications and to formulate investment priorities, Dorset Council should have regard to the need for improvements to cycling infrastructure and to pedestrian routes in Wool Parish. This should include positive consideration of opportunities to improve infrastructure on the following routes as detailed in Table 8 (see Travel and Transport in Wool Parish)

a) The creation of an attractive pedestrian environment along the Dorchester Road from Braytown to Wool Railway Station.

b) Improve pedestrian crossing facilities across Colliers Lane at the Junction with Dorchester Road and ensure that new development results in maintained or improved safety for pedestrians at this crossing.

c) The creation of a direct pedestrian link suitable for all users between Cologne Road and Bovington Neighbourhood Centre.

d) Pedestrian crossing facilities on King George V Road at Bovington Neighbourhood Centre.

e) Improved pedestrian environment along main routes from Bovington to Wool Railway Station.

f) Introduction of a pavement on the Lulworth Road South of Duck Street to the edge of the Village.

g) Introduction of a pavement on Burton Road and East Burton Road.

More detail

More detail can be found in the Travel and Transport in Wool Parish chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 12 - Improvements to Wool Rail Station

High level description

Improving our local train station and its surroundings.

Policy wording

When using policy I2 and H5 of the Purbeck Local Plan 2018-2034 in the determination of relevant planning applications and to formulate investment priorities, Dorset Council should have regard to the broader requirements identified in the neighbourhood plan for improvements to Wool Railway Station. This should include positive consideration of the following measures:

a) The provision of more car parking spaces

b) The provision of spaces for carshare vehicles

c) The provision of Electric Vehicle charging spaces

d) The extension of the bike hire scheme. more bikes and potentially electric bikes

e) Any Improvements to traffic queueing to allow better vehicular access to the station

f) The provision of accessible toilets with longer opening hours

g) The ticket office opening hours should be extended

h) The provision of more shelter on the platforms

i) The provision of a community notice board

j) The provision of more CCTV and other initiatives to reduce antisocial behaviour

k) Optimisation of the level crossing to reduce the downtime of the barrier and reduce the number of mechanical breakdowns

l) Actions address drainage problems alongside the railway on approaches to Wool Station.

Wool Parish Council will work with the Friends of Wool Station and other partners to secure improvements to Wool Station and support the environmental improvement of its environs as a key gateway to Wool

More detail

More detail can be found in the Travel and Transport in Wool Parish chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 13 - Local Green Spaces

High level description

Designates certain areas as local green spaces, ensuring they’re protected and preserved for the community to enjoy.

Policy wording

The following sites, detailed in Appendix B, are designated as Local Green Spaces, and other than in very special circumstances, no inappropriate development will be permitted within them that would harm their green character and reason for designation.

GS01 East Burton Village Green

GS02 Millennium Square, Wool

More detail

More detail can be found in the Green Infrastructure chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 14 - Allotments for Wool Parish

High level description

Major housing developments should provide or fund allotments to support our community’s gardening needs.ity to enjoy.

Policy wording

When using policies I1, I7 and H5 of the Purbeck Local Plan 2018-2034 in the determination of relevant planning applications and to formulate investment priorities, Dorset Council should have regard to the need for allotments provision in Wool Parish. Positive consideration should be given to opportunities to provide allotments within strategic development sites in the parish or financial contributions to provision on other sites.

Future local plan proposals for development in Wool Parish should include requirement for allotment provision at the standard of 0.20 hectares of allotments per 1,000 population or at a standard deemed appropriate by Dorset Council.

More detail

More detail can be found in the Green Infrastructure chapter of the plan.

POLICY - WOOL 15 - Biodiversity Net Gain Opportunities for Wool Parish

High level description

When new developments happen, they should help increase biodiversity in our area. If that’s not possible on the development site, we should look nearby.

Policy wording

Development will only be supported where it would not lead to an adverse effect upon the integrity, either alone or in-combination, directly or indirectly, on European sites. New development should incorporate proposals to meet statutory requirements for bio-diversity net gain in full on land within Wool Parish to improve the local ecological network. Where this cannot be achieved within development sites or on land within the parish, then opportunities to establish off-site bio-diversity net gain should in the first instance be sought to improve ecological networks within close proximity to Wool Parish.

More detail

More detail can be found in the Green Infrastructure chapter of the plan.