It is established planning policy, at both national and local level, that new development should be permitted outside established settlements in exceptional circumstances only. These circumstances normally relate to an agricultural, forestry, lesuire or strategic need. The application site is located in the countryside and it is the opinion of the Local Planning Authority that there are no exceptional circumstances which justify over-riding the normal planning policies. The cumulative adverse impacts of the development are considered to outweigh the benefits of the additional supply of housing in the Borough. As a result the development is considered to be unsustainable. The cumulative adverse impact of the proposal is considered to be significant and demonstrable and comprises the following individual elements: a. Loss of a Greenfield site outside the urban area and limits to development. b. Development which fails to respond to an identified local social and economic and would result in unsustainable journeys by private car due to the lack of local employment opportunities, community services and facilities and limited sustainable transport options. c. Inappropriate Design and Layout and the resultant unacceptable impact on the character and appearance of the open countryside and adjacent Conservation Area. d. There is recorded bat activity in the vicinity of the site. The proposal fails to provide adequate information to assess any impact on biodiversity.

It is the opinion of the local planning authority that the layout and design of the proposed development would not result in a satisfactory form of development. In particular, the scheme would not meet the principle that new housing should create places and spaces with the needs of people in mind, which are attractive, have their own distinctive identity but respect and enhance local character. The heavily engineered arrangement of the dwellings and associated driveway would fail to reference or complement the distinctive architectural character of the village. The development would appear distinctively suburban in form, and at odds with the surrounding built form and village character. Cumulatively, the impact of the proposal on the heritage asset is considered to result in a less than substantial harm, which is not outweighed by any public benefits of the scheme, and, consequently, the development fails the test for sustainable development required by the National Planning Policy Framework. In these regards, the proposal would be contrary to saved policies EV/1, EV/20 and H/16 of Borough of Charnwood Local Plan (2004), policies CS1, CS2, CS11 and CS14 and of the emerging Charnwood Core Strategy, the National Planning Policy Framework and the provisions of the adopted Leading in Design Supplementary Planning Document.

The layout of the proposed development has not included satisfactory measures to prevent harm from taking place to protected species which are known to be present within the vicinity of the site and are protected under the Habitats Regulations and the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). The proposal is therefore contrary to Part IV of Circular 06/2005 and Policy CS13: Biodiversity and Geodiversity in the emerging Charnwood Core Strategy.

The proposed development would therefore conflict with the provisions of Policies ST/1, ST/2, CT/1, CT/2, EV/1, H/16, TR/6 and TR/18 of the adopted Borough of Charnwood Local Plan, emerging policies CS1, CS11, CS13 and CS14 of the Charnwood Core Strategy, the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework and the Leading in Design Supplementary Planning Document. These saved and emerging local and national planning policies seek to promote sustainable development of appropriate design and layout to protect the rural character and appearance of the countryside and designated heritage assets.