POLICY PH2
THE COUNCIL WILL REFUSE PLANNING PERMISSION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL SITES WITHIN THE DARRAS HALL ESTATE WHICH DO NOT CONFORM WITH ALL THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:-
i) THE SITE SHALL HAVE A MINIMUM FRONTAGE OF 20 METRES TO AN ADOPTED HIGHWAY AND EXISTING PROPERTIES SHALL RETAIN A MINIMUM FRONTAGE OF 20 METRES TO AN ADOPTED HIGHWAY..
ii) THE CURTILAGE OF THE PROPOSED DWELLING SHALL BE DEFINED SO THAT SPACE AND PRIVACY STANDARDS ARE COMMENSURATE WITH THE SIZE AND QUALITY OF THE PROPOSED DWELLING AND IN ADDITION DO NOT MATERIALLY DETRACT FROM SPACE AND PRIVACY STANDARDS OF ADJACENT DWELLINGS.
iii) THE SIZE OF ANY RESIDENTIAL SITE SHALL NOT FALL BELOW THE MINIMUM OF 0.1 HECTARES AND SHALL ALSO BE SIMILAR TO THE AVERAGE PLOT SIZE IN ADJOINING AREAS.
iv) NEW DEVELOPMENT SHALL BE LAID OUT TO MAXIMISE THE PERPETUATION OF EXISTING BOUNDARY FEATURES OF AMENITY VALUE SUCH AS HEDGEROWS, WALLS, FENCES OR WATER COURSES.
v) THE SITING OF THE PROPOSED DWELLING SHALL GENERALLY CONFORM WITH STRONGLY ESTABLISHED AND PROMINENT BUILDING LINES.
vi) THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE SHALL NOT REQUIRE THE FELLING OF TREES AND HEDGEROWS OF SIGNIFICANT LOCAL AMENITY VALUE.
vii) NO HABITABLE ROOMS SHALL BE CONSTRUCTED WITHIN 3 METRES OF A SITE BOUNDARY.

34.15.1 In considering its policies for the Darras Hall Estate the Council is particularly concerned about the overdevelopment of housing sites and has established the following objectives:-

i) To maintain the Estate's diverse and varied character.
ii) To maintain the wide variety of plot size to cater for a range of spatial requirements within the "executive" housing market.
iii) To ensure that nearly all the large individual residential plots are maintained and not subdivided.
iv) Where the construction of more than one new dwelling is proposed, to ensure that development is planned on a comprehensive basis so as to minimise problems of vehicular access, servicing and residential amenity.
v) To protect existing areas of woodland and hedgerows.
vi) To ensure appropriate space standards around houses, having regard to the size of individual dwellings and their settings.
vii) To preserve existing standards of residential amenity with particular regard to the protection of privacy.

34.15.2 In arriving at new policies to achieve these objectives, criteria need to be established to determine whether or not planning permission can be granted in particular circumstances. Some criteria can be specific but others can only be stated in general terms. They include:-

i) Plot Size: The present wide range of plot size reflects the diversity in size of buildings and development styles since the inception of the Estate. These variations contribute to the character of Darras Hall and should be retained so that any new development conforms generally with the average plot size in that part of the Estate.
ii) Frontage: Individual building plots should have an adequate frontage to an existing adopted road. The minimum frontage considered appropriate to allow for double fronted houses to be accommodated and have adequate side space is 20 metres.
iii) Building Line: Development should align generally with neighbouring properties to retain the existing appearance of the Estate and prevent individual buildings from being unduly prominent in the street scene.
iv) Space About Buildings: Provision will generally be required for a substantial amount of space about buildings so that the setting of both existing and proposed houses is safeguarded. The setting will be related to the size and character of buildings so that more substantial dwellings will require a more extensive setting. Particular attention will be given to maintaining adequate distances between the side gable elevations of houses in order to prevent the appearance of a continuous line or terrace of buildings being established.