We object to this housing allocation. This is a large 'estate' type development located in a prominent position on the south eastern side of the village. The site has been the subject of a number of refused planning applications and a dismissed appeal in 1987. It seems perverse that, with this long history, the Council now considers that the site should be imposed upon Ashwell, when previously it has been considered to be entirely unsatisfactory and harmful to the settlement.

In its response to this current Local Plan submission, the Ashwell PC made clear the extent of objections made by local residents to site AS1 as being inappropriately sited in a prominent position and damaging to the character of the village. The local view is that housing should be smaller in scale and designed to meet the identified needs of the settlement.

The site at the corner of Springhead and Cow Lane (see paragraph 13.5 Development Boundary) which we propose for inclusion in the Development Boundary would meet the identified housing requirements, as identified by the PC, for an individual dwelling for an existing resident to "downsize" and thereby release a larger family home for a growing family in the village. This type of small scale development has minimal impact on the character and appearance of the village, but brings with it the benefit of enabling a younger family to grow without the need to move, thus maintaining and supporting the age range of the population of the village. This is consistent with the approach to sustainable development, as set out in Policy SP1 paragraph (b) "to support long-term viability of the district villages".