The Local Planning Authority consider the character of the locality is one of loose knit sporadic development interspersed with undeveloped green areas and the site itself does not constitute an infill plot in accordance with Policy H1. If permitted, the development would encourage and itself contribute to the consolidation of this loose knit form and layout of this area together with the loss of public views of the countryside beyond to the detriment of visual amenity and the erosion of the amenity value of this relatively undeveloped, attractive space. As such, the development is considered contrary to the provisions of Policy E1 of the North Yorkshire County Structure Plan and Policies H1 and BE12 of the Local Plan which seeks to resist limited new development to suitable infill plots and to residential development which would have an unacceptable impact on the visual and amenity value of undeveloped sites.
The principal means of access to the site is not laid out or constructed to a standard such that its adoption could occur as a highway maintainable at public expense. Consequently it would not be in the best interest of residents to approve this application without first ensuring their freedom from any streetworks liability. Approval of this application would give precedent to others and become increasingly harder to resist, thus leading to a proliferation of private streets contrary to the provisions of the Highways Act 1980 and the Policy of the County Council. The Local Planning Authority also considers that the roads leading to the site are not of a sufficient width for the traffic which would be likely to be generated by this proposal and therefore is contrary to Local Plan Policy T7. (NB: It is the policy of the County Council based upon the advice given by Central Government and its statutory obligation for the administration of the Advance Payments Code that any street which is being developed to provide the principle means of access to six or more properties shall be capable of being laid out and constructed to minimum standards such that its adoption could occur as a highway maintainable at public expense.)