Agriculture

Reasons for the Policy

Government guidance states that Local Authorities should prepare policies which protect the best and most versatile land as a natural resource. For all development affecting agricultural land a survey by the developer will be required to establish the agricultural value of the land.

Planning Policy Statement note no. 7 sets out guidance on developing agricultural greenfield land, in the context of the overarching priority of accommodating development on previously-developed sites in the urban area. The guidance makes it clear that development should not be permitted on agricultural land unless opportunities have been assessed for accommodating it on previously-developed sites or land within the urban areas. Where the development of agricultural land is unavoidable, the preference will be for the use of poorer quality agricultural land rather than higher quality land, unless sustainability criteria suggest otherwise.

Sustainability criteria will include the following:-

The land’s importance for biodiversity
The quality and character of the landscape
Its amenity value/heritage interest
Accessibility to infrastructure/workforce/markets
Protection of natural resources including soil quality

Some of these qualities may have resulted in the land having been identified and designated as a statutory wildlife, landscape, historic or archaeological site.

It is important to protect the best and most versatile of the agricultural land in the Borough. It is also important to protect the countryside for its own sake rather than primarily for the productive value of the land.

Appropriate management of agricultural land can make a positive contribution to the landscape and to the ecological value and access to the Borough’s countryside. The Council is keen to see the uptake and use of appropriate farming incentive payments such as the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.

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