TDLP PART 2 CHAPTER 7 - HARTLAND LOCAL CENTRE (including Hartland Cross and Eastdown)

Introduction

7.1 Hartland is located in the north west of the District, approximately 24km (15 miles) west of Bideford and 26km (16 miles) north of Bude, North Cornwall. The main route to the settlement is via the A39 and on to the B3248.

7.2 The village has experienced considerable housing growth since the late 1980s. Significant development has occurred in the east of the village, at Heard's Close and at Pengilly Way. Hartland continues to expand, principally through further residential development to the west of School Lane and at Greenwoods to the north of the village. Over the period1995 - 2001, it has been estimated that 66 houses were added in the parish. The outstanding housing commitment at April 2001, including sites with planning permission and under construction, amounted to 72 houses in Hartland village.

Future Development

7.3 Hartland provides a significant range of services, all key services, and some other basic services. It is identified as a Local Centre within the local settlement hierarchy. Policy DVT1 applies to development proposals within the development boundary. It is within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

7.4 Hartland occupies an important strategic position to the north west of the District, and is the main village serving a wide rural hinterland. The Structure Plan provides that this is an Area of Development Constraint. The strategy of the Plan in respect of Hartland is to support and encourage its rôle as a service centre that can provide employment, services, and community facilities for the surrounding area at a level that can sustain the local community.

Infrastructure

7.5 Although some distance from the main service centres, Hartland is one of the District's more accessible villages, with good access to the A39. Hartland also is well served by public transport, with frequent bus services to Bideford and to Bude, North Cornwall.

7.6 There are no identified sewerage infrastructure or sewage capacity problems at Hartland. Additional development of a scale appropriate to the settlement would not be prejudiced by inadequate treatment facilities.

Conservation

7.7 There are a large number of Grade II Listed Buildings in the centre of Hartland, in the vicinity of Fore Street and The Square. A Conservation Area was designated in this area in 1973. West Street, Springfield, and North Road also reflect Hartland's traditional vernacular character. These areas were incorporated into a significant extension to the Conservation Area in June 2000. Within the Conservation Area, an Article 4 Direction is in force to control alterations to windows on elevations facing a public highway. The Conservation Area is defined in the SPG for Conservation Areas.

7.8 Hartland village and the area of the parish north and east of the A39, is included within the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, within which the conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty of the area will be given priority over other considerations.

Social and Community Services

7.9 Hartland is one of the largest villages in the District. It provides a significant range of services and facilities in support of its population; it also acts as a focal point for the surrounding rural community.

7.10 Services within the village include a number of retail units, including food and non-food, a hairdresser's, a post office, a garage providing fuel and a repair service, a cafe and off licence and several pubs. Other community facilities include a village and a community hall, a church, doctors, dentists and a veterinary surgery. There are pre-school facilities and a primary school at Hartland. There is also a small independent school, although the majority of pupils of secondary school age travel to comprehensive schools at Bideford and Bude, North Cornwall.

7.11 A football pitch, tennis courts, and a playing field to the west of the village provide formal recreation provision in Hartland. There is a deficiency in recreation provision in Hartland. The District Recreation Strategy identified a need for additional recreation provision, including playing fields, play areas, and a community sports hall, as detailed in Appendix 5 of Part 1 of this Plan. The Parish Council also has identified the need for a children's play area and through a Community Appraisal (1997) it identified a need for improvements to indoor and outdoor sports facilities with a particular need for a swimming pool. No site has yet been identified, but a location to the east of the village may be appropriate.

7.12 Where there is a community need, the LPA seeks to negotiate appropriate contributions from new development toward the provision of open space and recreation facilities. The scheduled major housing site at School Lane, Hartland (Policy HSC1 Schedule 2) may generate the need for off-site built sport facilities. An appropriate contribution toward the provision of such facilities may be negotiated.

Employment

7.13 Within Hartland village there is a diverse range of industrial and commercial employment opportunities. These include a pottery, a furniture manufacturer, a coach operator, a printer's, and garages, supplemented by a number of Government service and research jobs. A range of service and manufacturing industries also operate from the small industrial estate situated at Hartland Cross. In addition to the six small workshop units, serviced employment land is available to facilitate the development of local business. The industrial estate, as defined on the Proposals Map, is designated a General Employment Area, within which development proposals are subject to Policy ECD2.

7.14 – 7.16 [No text]

Housing

7.17 The development boundary has been drawn to reflect outstanding commitments to the east of the village. The development boundary to the south and west of Hartland and at Hartland Cross has been drawn tightly around the existing built-up area, to protect the surrounding countryside from encroaching development. It is considered appropriate to minimise further development within the AONB and to resist coalescence between Hartland and Hartland Cross.

7.18 A proposal for housing and major landscaping at Eastdown Park, on the site of a former RAF and Coastguard Base, is detailed below. The development opportunities provided by sites currently available within Hartland Village and Hartland Cross are considered sufficient to accommodate the needs of the village. Additional housing provision is not considered appropriate at this time following a period of consistent growth to the north and east of the village. Further allocations may be considered at the Plan review.

7.19 The 1999 /2000 housing needs survey and the 1997 community appraisal have indicated a need for affordable housing. If suitable sites are available, necessary provision can be secured in accordance with Policies HSC2 and HSC6.

7.20 [No text]

7.21 It has been estimated that the Parish of Hartland will contribute 177 units to the strategic housing requirement (1995 – 2011), within which the settlement of Hartland will contribute 141 units.

Eastdown Park

7.22 Eastdown Park, as defined on the Proposals Map 1km to the east of Hartland, is a largely vacant and derelict site situated in the rural area and in the AONB. Such sites represent a wasted resource that could be brought back into productive use. The former RAF site benefits from planning permission for redevelopment for B1 industrial uses, which remains unimplemented. However, the site is not considered particularly suitable for industrial units in view of the presence of existing housing on site, the prominent location within the AONB, and the availability of vacant industrial units and land for industrial development on the more appropriately located industrial estate at Hartland Cross. Some limited use is made of existing buildings on part of the site.

7.23 To improve the appearance of the AONB and to restore the site it is considered appropriate to allocate the site for housing with substantial landscaping. The site is 1.8 hectares, of which at least 50% should be landscaped. This element of landscaping excludes private gardens and amenity space about the dwellings and will result in an overall density of less than 30 dwellings per hectare. In order to ensure the appropriate distribution of housing and landscaping in a co-ordinated way, the site should be developed in accordance with a Development Brief approved by the District Council.

Proposal HTD1: Eastdown Park

A site at Eastdown Park as defined on the Proposals Map is allocated for housing development subject to:

(a) the provision of landscaping on at least 50% of the site to improve the appearance of the site and the AONB; and

(b) the accommodation of the existing uses on the site.

7.24 A variety of house types including affordable housing will be expected on the site.

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