Question 16.1 - Defining Appropriate Locations for Village and Rural Development

Which approach to defining appropriate locations for future village and rural development do you

most favour?

(please mark one box only)

Facilities Based Approach - Would direct development to those villages with the greatest range of facilities and good public transport links.

Wider Issues Approach - Would assess villages on the basis of a wide range of social, environmental and economic issues and seek to determine appropriate types of development for different villages on the basis of meeting locally identified needs.

Alternative Approach - Please mark this box if you feel that neither the ‘facilities based' nor the ‘wider issues' based approach is appropriate and that a different approach to locating development should be taken.

Please provide comments below to justify your response :

Assessment wherever possible should be based on that determined by the local community. Communities who embrace a desire to add to an economic and social well being will wish to have this opportunity irrespective of the availability of existing facilities or services, or current planning restrictions (Built-up Area Boundary - the Black Line). However settlement scale and landscape would be a conditioning factor in determining rural development.

Question 16.2 - Housing and Affordable Housing in Villages and Rural Areas

Which approach to market and affordable housing provision in villages and rural areas do you most favour?

(please mark one box only)

Current affordable housing target - This would retain a 40% target for affordable housing on sites of five or more dwellings in settlements with a population below 3000 persons.

Higher Affordable Housing Targets - This could seek a higher affordable housing percentage (may be up to 60% or more) and/or lower thresholds perhaps as low as an affordable housing contribution for every single open market dwelling built.

Alternative Approach - Please mark this box of you feel that neither the current policy approach nor one seeking higher affordable housing levels is appropriate.

Please provide comments below to justify your response :

To avoid a sense of ‘estate', rural communities may seek or only have sites suitable for the development of up to 4 dwellings and therefore dip beneath current policy. 

The requirements for affordable housing should be driven by a community need and not policy led targets. It should take into account employment, retirement and family needs when assessing affordable v open market as well as what community/social facilities might be possible from the available site (e.g. this could include the development of social facilities such as a Community Hall or children's play area). A contribution to either affordable housing or community facilities should exist for developments above 5 dwellings.  A community need for affordable, community and open market opportunities will require regular testing to ensure an existence of an up to date community policy. A ‘one size fits all' should not be the assumed method. All new development of rural housing should operate within a community capping system within the timeframe of a strategy.

A target approach (as above, seems to assume new build) may not take into account re-development /change of use of existing farm buildings for either affordable housing/ local employment or residential family housing for the existing owner's family. If the dwelling is for any of these categories whether new build or conversion then no contribution towards affordable housing or local service and facilities should be sought.

Question 16.3 - Community Led Affordable Housing (Exceptions Site Housing)

What approach to community led affordable housing (exceptions site housing) do you favour?

(please mark one box only)

At villages with many facilities - Only allowing exceptions site affordable housing at villages that have a wide range of services and facilities and good public transport.

More widely spread in the countryside - Allowing exceptions site affordable housing at or reasonably close to villages that have a wide range of facilities as well as those that that have limited facilities.

Alternative Approach - Please mark this box of you feel that neither approach is appropriate and that a different approach should be taken.

Please provide comments below to justify your response :

Allow exception sites based on an identified community need within their settlement scale and landscape. It will allow for communities with limited facilities to identify (and grow as desired) existing or new services and facilities.

Do not restrict communities to the Built-up Area Boundary - the Black Line.

Question 16.4 - Restricting the Occupation of New Housing

Do you favour restricting the occupation of new housing in parts of the AONBs to meeting local needs only?

(please mark one box only)

            Yes

            No

            Don't Know

Please provide comments below to justify your response :

A ‘YES' answer is likely to restrict a developer building new dwellings or restrict an existing owner converting unneeded farm buildings into an appropriate rural enterprise.

But even a NO answer should have development restrictions in line with settlement scale, landscape and the local community strategy for housing and facilities. Where the development is proposed for open market and does not also include provision for affordable housing, local occupancy/employment need or the owner's family housing, then this could be a linked to local needs through an off-site contribution to affordable housing or other local services or facilities.

 All new housing whether inside or outside of an AONB (or in or out of the Built-up Area Boundary) should be linked by a formula to a total housing development commensurate with community scale. 

Question 16.5 - Agricultural Dwellings

Which approaches to potential reuse of agricultural dwelling do you most favour?

(please mark one box only)

Continue with current policy for lifting of agricultural ties - which allows the lifting agricultural ties where the property is no longer required for an agricultural worker and no buyer who meets the terms of the condition can be found.  The property can then be sold on the open market.

Take a more restrictive approach to the lifting of agricultural ties to limit their use to affordable dwellings - This approach would allow the lifting of agricultural ties where the property is no longer required for an agricultural worker and no buyer who meets the terms of the condition can be found. But would limit the occupation of the property to local people in need

Alternative Approach - Please mark this box if you feel that neither of these approaches is appropriate.

Please provide comments below to justify your response :

Maintain existing agricultural ties but allow the owner to offer use of tied dwelling to a local retiree or for local affordable housing, or local (other than agriculture) employment need.

Question 16.6 - Commercial and Community Facilities

Which approach to commercial and community facilities provision in villages and rural areas do you most favour?

(please mark one box only)

Continue with the current policy allowing new local community facilities to be provided within or adjoining villages with Built-up Area Boundaries. This may allow for existing unsatisfactory village facilities to be redeveloped for other uses and new sites to be developed.

A less restrictive approach to provision of community facilities would allow such development in villages without Built-up Area Boundaries, where there was a proven need.

Alternative approach

Please mark this box if you feel that neither of these approaches is appropriate.

Please provide comments below to justify your response:

The options as stated are restrictive. Both options should be within a strategy and where there is a proven need. All commercial facilities development should show a viable 3-year business plan.  Commercial plans should be encouraged to show how these facilities could be linked with opportunities for employment. Availability and positioning of these facilities need to be consistent with the scale, landscape and identified community need.

Question 16.7 - Rural Employment

Which approach to commercial development and rural enterprise do you favour?

(please mark one box only)

Allow Development at or near to larger villages - Continue with the current policy allowing new employment development to be provided within or adjoining villages with Built-up Area Boundaries.

Wider Dispersal Approach - A less restrictive approach to provision of employment development would allow such development in villages without Built-up Area Boundaries.

Alternative Approach - Please mark this box of you feel that neither of these approaches is appropriate.

Please provide comments below to justify your response:

A ‘one size fits all' will not encourage genuine enterprise. Encourage commercial/farming/rural enterprise development consistent with settlement size, landscape and the appropriate business (for a rural area). These developments must have a viable 3-year business plan, and be encouraged to link with appropriate housing and social facilities.  

Question 16.8 - Farm Diversification

Which approach to farm and rural business diversification do you favour?   

(please mark one box only)

Restricting schemes to small-scale ‘rural' activities - This approach would see new farm diversification schemes restricted to small scale rural enterprises reusing existing buildings and for uses that add value to current farming enterprises.

Larger scale farm diversification and new business development - This approach would allow for larger scale business in rural areas reusing modern farm buildings with scope for new buildings and for uses that are not necessarily related to the existing agricultural enterprises.

Alternative Approach - Please mark this box if you feel that neither of these approaches is appropriate.

Please provide comments below to justify your response:

The backbone of rural employment is farming. This needs to be encouraged. Small scale rural enterprises will be expected to fit in with the settlement and landscape of the community. Holiday accommodation (building conversion) should be included within this set of enterprises. A small-scale enterprise development should not preclude new (appropriate to landscape and existing farm settlement scale) buildings..

Large-scale farm diversification would be unacceptable if it breached community settlement size and landscape.  A 5-mile radius around the community should be applied to restrict any large farm diversification to a non-agricultural enterprise where that community was close to another community where commercial development of this type and scale would be acceptable.

Any Other Issues

Are there any other issues or matters you would wish to raise or draw to our attention?

Please provide comments below:

1. The ‘Issues and Options Consultation Report' has no free form provision for a community response to provide an evidence based vision statement that would underwrite the answers to questions for this section (Chapter 16).
2. Rural and urban transport has not been fully integrated into this consultation document.

To understand the Parish of Awliscombe's approach to the answers in this section (chapter 16), information has been taken from the Parish Plan produced in 2006.  We now look forward to what that might mean in 2026.

Economic, social and housing development that is appropriate to the scale and landscape of the settlement and community is an acceptable level of change for the Parish of Awliscombe. Extensions to services, facilities and housing needs will have to be re-confirmed and tested as part of an updated community strategy whilst also considering access to services, facilities and employment being provided by other nearby communities. It is believed that some development capping will be required to ensure the retention of a rural character and views.

The Parish wishes to having a thriving community by encouraging existing families to stay and work locally, absent family members to return to live and work locally, encourage new comers to settle and work locally and ensure local retirees can remain in an environment that they know.

The main restrictions to meeting these aspirations today are seen as development outside of the Built-Up Area Boundary (known as the Black Line), conversion of agricultural buildings for immediate family and local housing use (not just agricultural employment), lack of affordable housing and poor public transport to Honiton, Cullompton and connections beyond.

Community vision for 2026:  

A new Parish Hall in a new location, close to existing amenities (School, Church, Pub), probably supported by some suitable housing with:
-Indoor facilities suitable for use by
  Local sports enthusiasts/groups (e.g. badminton, table tennis, short mat bowls), Awliscombe Primary  
  School (gymnasium, pre-school)
  Parish and other groups (e.g. worship, various society/group meetings, one off
     events/meetings, yoga, play group, exhibitions, wider area group meetings)
   An Emergency Centre
-Outdoor facilities for use by
    Local sports enthusiasts/groups (e.g. playing fields for football, cricket, archery)

    Children (e.g. play area, school sports)

Some additional (greenfield) housing outside of the existing parish Built-up Area Boundary (Black Line),  retaining a rural character and existing views in small build numbers of 1-5 properties to support:

    Affordable or local employment housing needs
    Local retirement needs
    Local family needs

    Limited open market housing

Use of existing agricultural buildings (no longer required for agriculture) to support:
     Affordable or local employment housing
     Local retirement needs
     Local family needs

     Limited open market housing

Improved public transport from both Awliscombe and Weston into Honiton to support

     Commerce (Honiton general / specific retail)

     Use of enhanced social and sporting facilities in Honiton.
     Access to services (e.g. health centre, hospital, Post Office) in Honiton
     Access to wider public transport (bus/train)
     Reduce carbon emissions
     Release car parking land (in Honiton)

Use of existing premises/farm buildings to provide:

     Increased local employment in rural enterprises
     Quality tourist accommodation

     Local services (e.g. a pub could also support small general store/postal collection)
     Small scale farm diversification