Assessing rural sustainable housing development:In Shropshire and Herefordshire

Fernley, C. (2020) Assessing rural sustainable housing development:In Shropshire and Herefordshire. Doctoral thesis, Harper Adams University.

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Abstract

The promotion and inclusion of Sustainable Development has been aprimary consideration for many western economies over the last 35-40years. In the United Kingdom,the Town and Country Planning system has been charged with delivering the spatial elements of sustainable development. The question is,how successful has the planning system been in achieving this?Using rural housing development as an example, this research has focused its investigations using mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis, to provide assessments of how sustainability is pursued by Local Planning Authorities (LPAs). The research covers the period between 2007 and 2017 to enable investigation of LPA decisions over a ten year period. Itinvolved detailed investigation of secondary data from 4,094planning applications across eight case study parishes in two LPA areas, and obtaining primary data from street based surveys and Focus Groups in the same parishes. This research sought to establish if housing targets set in LPA Development Plans are being met, how changes in national planning policy has influenced decision making, the extent to which sustainability considerations have influenced decision making and, to what extent the makingof Neighbourhood Plans has impacted upon decisions relating to rural housing development. The research has concluded that although LPAs have largely adhered to local planning policy, housing targets have only been achieved in the last years of study 2016/17. In the case study parishes the majority of approved and refused planning applications were for single dwellings, with sustainability considerations dominating the reasons quoted in decisions from Planning Officer and Committee reports.The results indicate that some extra levels of community cohesion has taken place where Neighbourhood Plans exist, but insufficient evidence has been found to confirm that Neighbourhood Plans have realised a discernible difference, in other aspects of development

Item Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Divisions: Food, Land and Agribusiness Management
Depositing User: Ms Kath Osborn
Date Deposited: 05 Mar 2021 10:33
Last Modified: 05 Mar 2021 10:33
URI: https://hau.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/17655

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