Commercial Development & Employment  - Policies

Extract from the NDP:

General

C1 Development of the centre of the village as an increasingly attractive place for residents and businesses will be sought and encouraged.

C2 Local economic innovation that creates a range of job types and higher added value employment will be encouraged.

C3 All developments will adhere to all policies in total in the Plan and will not add to the urbanisation of Mortimer – perceived or real

Retail/Services Development

C4 Applications for new independent local retail/services outlets and expansion of existing outlets will be supported.

  • The scale and nature of development will be appropriate to the size and character of the immediate surroundings.
  • The business will not adversely affect the locality and the amenities of local residents.
  • These developments will be directed towards the commercial centre of the village (see map on page 43 of NDP)

Local Businesses and Office Space

C5 The creation of additional business accommodation through small scale expansion of existing employment premises, the conversion of existing buildings and new premises will be supported. They will:

  • be within the Mortimer Settlement Boundary or are the reuse of farm or rural buildings (see policy C6 on next page);
  • adhere to the design policies set out in the development plan and the scale and nature is appropriate to the size and character of the immediate surroundings
  • not adversely impact the locality and the amenities of local residents and other countryside users.

Developments within the settlement boundary should be close to the commercial centre of the village.

Use of Farm Buildings

C6 Conversion of redundant farm and rural buildings to commercial use will be supported.

Proposals will:

  • respect the surrounding rural landscape and be sensitive to the amenities of neighbouring residents and other users and its setting in regard to size, light pollution, noise, dirt, loss of wildlife habitat.
  • not have any unacceptable impact on the local road network.
  • work in harmony with agriculture and other land-based activities and rural recreational activity.
  • be accompanied by appropriate protected species and habitat surveys, and that avoid adverse impacts on biodiversity and seek to achieve a net gain through enhancements

Other

C7 New, renovated or extended buildings for employment and commercial activity will be supported if they:

  • add high value sustainable employment
  • enhance the delivery of the Vision of Mortimer and preclude the characteristics and feel of creeping urbanisation
  • retain and respect any architectural or historic features of the building(s)
  • are sustainably located and of appropriate scale, form and high quality design so they do not adversely affect
    • the setting of the village of Mortimer,
    • the character (visual, use, feel) and the distinctive views of the surrounding countryside in particular in areas identified in the West Berkshire Landscape Character assessment as having ‘High’ or ‘Medium-High’ sensitivity
    • views within the village
    • the locality and the amenities of local residents and other countryside users.

Outside the settlement boundary priority will be given to protecting the countryside from inappropriate development. Such developments will be supported if, in addition to the above, they:

  • make a long-term contribution to sustaining the agricultural enterprise or other land-based activities
  • are accompanied by appropriate protected species and habitat surveys, avoid adverse impacts on biodiversity and seek to achieve a net gain through enhancements.

Large commercial, office and Industrial activity, warehousing and distribution developments shall be directed towards Protected Employment Areas and existing suitably located employment sites and premises as set out in CS9 of the West Berkshire Core Strategy.