Carlisle District Local Plan.indd - Carlisle City Council

Carlisle District Local Plan 2001 - 2016 Revised Redeposit draftPOLICY LE7 Buffer Zone of Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage SiteWithin the buffer zone of Hadrian’s Wall Military Zone World Heritage Site, as definedon the Proposals Map, proposals for development which would have an unacceptableadverse impact on the character and/or setting of the World Heritage Site will notbe permitted. Development within or adjacent to existing settlements, establishedfarmsteads and other groups of buildings will be permitted, where it is consistent withother policies of this Plan, providing that:1. the proposal reflects the scale and character of the existing group of buildings;and2. there is no unacceptable adverse effect on the character and/or appearance ofthe Hadrian’s Wall Military Zone World Heritage Site.Within the outer visual envelope, beyond the Hadrian’s Wall Military Zone WorldHeritage Site, proposals for major development which would have an adverse effect onthe character of the World Heritage Site will not be permitted unless the need for thedevelopment outweighs the environmental costs.Strengthen the policy in terms of sustainable land regeneration guidelines showinga hierarchy of types of land to be used for development could be included to ensurederelict or brownfield sites are utilised first.6.36 The criteria for inscription for World Heritage Sites refers to the selection of outstandinghistoric and natural landscapes. ICOMOS, which examines submissions for World HeritageSites, considers that it is the landscape all around that is the setting and the amountrequired to be included in the buffer zone will depend on the lie of the land. If the site issurrounded by hills the buffer zone should be extended to include the tops of the hills.6.37 ICOMOS also considers that there has been too little protection given to these sites againstnew development, which might have a detrimental effect on their setting. This protectionshould not exclude change or development, but only that such change or development mustbe appropriate and sympathetic to the site.6.38 The buffer zone of Hadrian’s Wall Military Zone has been identified following thepreparation of a Management Plan by English Heritage, Local Authorities along the lengthof the Wall and other interested parties. The Management Plan identifies three distinctareas: the archaeological core of the Wall and Vallum (the World Heritage Site), thesurrounding buffer zone and the outer visual envelope. This Policy is intended to protectthe buffer zone from inappropriate and unsympathetic development which would adverselyaffect the World Heritage Site. Development within the buffer zone that would have anunacceptable adverse affect on the character and/or the setting of the World HeritageSite will not be permitted. Development that is within or adjacent to existing settlements,farmsteads or other groups of buildings will be permitted provided that the proposal reflectsthe scale and character of the existing development and does not adversely affect thecharacter and/or setting of the World Heritage Site.6.39 The Hadrian’s Wall Management Plan was updated in 2002, the boundary of the bufferzone on the District Plan Proposals Map is co-terminus with that shown in the ManagementPlan. Should the boundary shown in the Management Plan subsequently change, it is theCity Council’s intention to rely on the boundary shown in the Management Plan, rather thanthat shown on the District Plan Proposals Map. The Proposals Map will be altered at the firstappropriate opportunity.104 September 2006