• CONTENTS
• List of Policies
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• List of Maps
• Introduction
• Part I Strategy & Policies
• Strategy
• Policies
• Part II Detailed Policies & Justification
• 1 Sustainability Appraisal
• 2 The Environment
• 3 Design
• 4 Housing
• 5 Industry and Employment
• 6 Rural Economy
• 7 Tourism
• 8 Shopping
• 9 Movement
• 10 Conservation of the Historic Environment
• 11 Countryside
• 12 Nature Conservation
• 13 Recreation & Leisure
• 14 Community Facilities
• 15 Minerals
• 16 Waste Planning Management
• 17 Implementation & Monitoring
• Appendix 1: Cadw Register of Landscapes, Parks & Gardens
• Appendix 2: Licensed Non-landfill Waste Facilities
• Glossary

6 Rural Economy

Rural Economy Objective

1. To promote a thriving and diverse rural economy where agriculture related activities are complemented by sustainable tourism and other forms of employment in a working countryside that provides for sustainable and inclusive communities while protecting the County’s natural and built heritage.

2. To seek to protect high-grade agricultural land, taking into account the need to sustain and diversify the rural economy.

6.1 INTRODUCTION

6.1.1 Agriculture has played a major part in shaping the landscape, communities and economy of Monmouthshire for centuries. Although agricultural practices in the past have threatened the character of Monmouthshire’s landscape, more recent changes, brought about by National and European policies, have sought to increase the role of market forces and have affected the stability of the farming economy. This has, in turn, affected the landscape by increasing the pressure for farm diversification. This has been reflected in an increase in the number of planning applications for the conversion of farm buildings to residential or holiday use. The Unitary Development Plan (UDP) must balance the recognised need for diversification into non-food production activities (in response to the decline in the farming economy) against the overriding need to conserve the special qualities of Monmouthshire for future generations to enjoy.

6.1.2 A viable and sustainable agricultural industry is essential in maintaining the valued landscapes of Monmouthshire. There has been increasing national recognition of the importance of a system of economic support away from food production towards environmental enhancement. The whole of the County is covered by ‘Tir Gofal’; a scheme which seeks to support the continuation of traditional farming practices and to encourage measures that will enhance the landscape through a system of management agreements and grant aid.

6.1.3 It is against this background of current changes in farming that the policies in this UDP are set. They seek to support diversification measures for the rural economy that are compatible with the Plan’s objectives, whilst controlling development and land use change which would adversely affect important landscape and wildlife features. It is also recognised that commercial forestry operations can play a significant role in the rural economy and the implementation of the Plan’s policies will take this into account.

6.2 EMPLOYMENT WITHIN THE COUNTRYSIDE

6.2.1 The above criteria will also be applied to proposals to extend buildings that have already been converted. All proposals considered under Policy RE1 will also be assessed against the criteria of Policy ENV1.

6.2.2 Employment development within the open countryside is likely to detract from the appearance of the County, to be remote from population and, consequently, incur long journeys to work in areas which are not well served by public transport. It may also impinge upon good quality agricultural land or land valued for its landscape or nature conservation interest. However, some opportunities for employment uses may be acceptable in a rural location, such as IT home-working and those related to agriculture or forestry products. These exceptions could be located within existing buildings with suitable conversion providing they conform to other policies in the Plan. In particular, those policies which seek to minimise any detrimental effect on landscape value, environmental quality and the amenity of local residents.

6.2.3 It is acknowledged that the financial returns of such conversions make it attractive for owners to seek conversion to residential use. However, there will be circumstances where a residential conversion would not be appropriate; for example, where the building immediately adjoins a working farmyard. There may also be cases where a farmer would not wish to have other people living permanently in close proximity to his working farm and farmhouse, but would be happy to allow the use of his buildings for business purposes.

6.2.4 Whilst the Council would wish to support appropriate farm diversification initiatives, it would not wish to encourage the abandonment of suitable/functional modern farm and forestry buildings (ie. portal-frame type structures) in favour of non-agricultural or non-forestry employment uses. The Council is also concerned about possible abuse where agricultural or forestry buildings (particularly those erected under permitted development rights) are constructed with the intention of early conversion to another use. Criterion (d) seeks to prevent any such attempts to abuse the planning system.

6.3 AGRICULTURAL DIVERSIFICATION

6.3.1 The Employment policies of the Plan support the concept of employment uses in the countryside, in appropriate circumstances. For the purposes of this Plan, the term ‘farm diversification’ is defined as ‘economic diversification on working farms which is subject to planning control’ (paragraph 7.3.3, Planning Policy Wales, March 2002). Possible diversification proposals include workshops, tourist accommodation, and leisure enterprises. Other policies of the Plan deal with some of these specific uses. In principle, however, the Plan gives support to the diversification of agriculture, provided that proposals meet the criteria referred to in the various policies, including ENV1 and DES1. In addition, any non-agricultural diversification proposals should complement the agricultural activities of the farm, rather than dominate them. All diversification proposals should take account of the character of the landscape; reference should be made to the landscape character assessment for Monmouthshire based on the LANDMAP methodology. Reference should also be made to the all Wales agri-environment scheme, ‘Tir Gofal’, and the principles incorporated within any new proposals.

6.4 NEW AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY BUILDINGS

6.4.1 Farm and forestry buildings can be a visually intrusive element in the rural landscape by virtue of their size, location and the materials used in their construction. Where new buildings are required, careful consideration will be given to their location and design so that any adverse effect upon the character and amenity of the surrounding area is reduced to the practical minimum.

6.4.2 Developments should be assimilated into the landscape without compromising the functions they are intended to perform. New buildings should normally form part of a group rather than stand in isolation, and relate to existing buildings in size and colour. However, new buildings of modern design may sometimes best be separated from a group of traditional buildings to avoid visual conflict. Sites on skylines should also be avoided, if possible. To reduce their visual impact, buildings should be blended into the landscape or, on sloping sites, set into the slope if that can be achieved without disproportionate cost.

6.4.3 The siting of new agricultural or forestry buildings adjacent (but not too close) to existing woods may help to assimilate them into the landscape. Suitable woodland management is required to maintain this effect. Elsewhere, judicious tree planting and external works may limit the impact of new buildings. The aim should not necessarily be to hide a building from sight, but rather to soften a hard outline, break up a prominent silhouette, and help 'anchor' a new building to the surrounding landscape. Any new planting should reflect the vegetation type already existing in the locality, if it is native and appropriate.

6.4.4 The choice of design and materials, and the relationships of texture and colour to existing development, local traditions, and the landscape, can be important considerations for both agricultural/forestry buildings and roads. Careful choice of colour can reduce the apparent scale of a large agricultural building (e.g. if the roof of a building is coloured darker than the walls, its visual impact on its surroundings is reduced). The use of reflective materials should be avoided.

6.5 INTENSIVE LIVESTOCK/FREE RANGE POULTRY UNITS

6.5.1 Experience has shown that the general public is very concerned with problems associated with some of the existing livestock units within the County and it is recognised that, given the scale of these buildings, it can be difficult to assimilate them into the landscape. Proposals for further units must therefore incorporate measures to limit their potential impacts. It can be said that some noise, odour and effect on the landscape is an inescapable part of farming, but by careful siting, landscaping, etc. and, most importantly, by good management, these impacts can be kept to a practicable minimum. Therefore Policy RE4 (in conjunction with the use of planning obligations and conditions) aims to achieve a balance between the economic production of food and the protection of amenity and the environment. Additional guidance concerning the storage and disposal of wastes, such as slurry and poultry litter, can be found in ‘The Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) Regulations, 1991’.

6.5.2 Recently there has been a growing trend toward the development of intensive free- range poultry production units. Some of these units have been situated away from the main farm buildings and have subsequently resulted in the provision of a new house for the unit manager. This has lead to unnecessary development within the open countryside and future units should address this issue. The Council will not approve units that are to be situated away from the main farm buildings.

6.5.3 The number of intensive livestock and free-range poultry production units will be carefully monitored to ensure that their cumulative impact on a particular area is taken into account when evaluating new proposals against the criteria in Policy RE4.

6.6 AGRICULTURAL LAND

6.6.1 It is nationally recognised that there is a need to protect from unnecessary development the best and most versatile agricultural land, namely grades 1, 2 and 3a as defined by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in their Agricultural Land Classification. Sustaining the viability of farm enterprises can involve diversification away from food production, but should not involve irreversible development of the national resources of high quality land.

6.6.2 Considerable weight will be given to protecting high-grade agricultural land against development due to its special nature. Wherever possible development should be located on land of a lower quality (ie. grades 3b, 4 and 5) unless such land has a recognised environmental value which outweighs the agricultural considerations.

6.7 GARDEN CENTRES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

6.7.1 Within built-up areas, especially within Town Development Boundaries, garden centres can be considered under Policy S4, since they sell non-food items that are often bulky and ancillary to DIY uses. Policy S4 recognises that such uses need not necessarily be expected to fall within the defined Central Shopping Areas, although many flower and gardening shops are centrally located. Outside Town (and Village) Development Boundaries, so-called garden centres can take a variety of forms, and merit separate policy consideration, with all such proposals also being subject to the requirements of Policies ENV1 and DES1.

6.7.2 In the countryside, garden centres can range from the ‘nursery’, where a farmer might produce nearly all of the plants for sale (in which case the enterprise would be classed as ‘permitted development’), to the more built-up garden centre selling wholly imported plants and a wide variety of sheds, greenhouses and other manufactured products, as well as seeds, fertilisers and often some building materials and equipment. This latter type of business is an example of development that, together with car parking, access roads and commercial buildings, has been held on appeal in other areas to be out-of-place in the open countryside, and should be confined to built-up areas. Indeed, it has been held on appeal that substantial buildings allowed for the sale of ‘imported’ products can convert to DIY stores without separate planning permission, thus possibly threatening the viability and vitality of a town's shopping facilities.

6.7.3 In view of the above, there is clearly a need to differentiate between the garden centres that predominantly sell agricultural and plant products (even if not all grown on the ‘holding’) and those that incline toward the sale of manufactured garden buildings and materials. Whereas the former can be considered favourably in the countryside (subject to detailed planning criteria), the latter should be confined to the built-up areas within development boundaries. Even with the former, however, it has been accepted that it would be difficult to restrict retailing to ‘agricultural’ products only, given that the sale of garden ornaments and implements, as well as drink and food for consumption on the premises, are an accepted part of the garden centre ‘recreational’ shopping experience.

6.7.4 It should be noted that there are a large number of established garden centres within the County, on the fringes of Newport, and within adjoining Counties. The inevitable harm that any new garden centre will cause to the countryside (if only on car parking and access grounds) must be balanced against the economic benefits of such schemes, and judgement on the latter aspect must be influenced by the level of existing provision in the vicinity, having regard to the main shopping centres' hinterlands.

6.8 FARM SHOPS

6.8.1 Farm shops can serve an important function in rural areas, by providing fresh produce, creating jobs and contributing to the diversity of the rural economy. The sale of produce from a farm holding, which has been wholly grown or reared there, is ancillary to an agricultural use and, therefore, does not require planning permission. Where ‘imported’ produce (ie. that which is not grown or reared at the holding concerned) is proposed, the Council considers a proportion of 10% of the items for sale as taking the retail use outside of being ancillary to agriculture thus creating a separate retail use requiring planning permission.

6.8.2 Agricultural permitted development rights (Schedule 2, Part 6 GDO) cover the erection of new buildings to be used as farm shops where such shops are ancillary to agriculture, and designed for agricultural purposes, as described above. However, a new farm shop structure, wherein substantial amounts of ‘imported’ produce are sold, is to be considered as a retail building rather than one reasonably necessary for the purposes of agriculture and, therefore, will require planning permission.

6.8.3 In assessing such proposals, the Council will take account of the potential impact on nearby town and village shops, the likely impact of traffic generated together with parking and accessibility requirements, and the desirability of providing a service throughout the year.

6.9 FARM TOURISM

6.9.1 Tourism and crafts are recognised as contributing significantly to the rural economy and are aspects of agricultural diversification that the Council supports, in principle. Many elements of a typical farm tourism scheme are covered already by other policies in the UDP, notably those relating to the conversion and subdivision of buildings to provide visitor accommodation. Proposals for farm tourism should be of a suitable nature and scale that respect their surroundings and avoid unacceptable conflict with acknowledged nature conservation interests. They should also meet the detailed requirements of all relevant policies, in particular Policies ENV1, DES1, RE2, T3 and T4.

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