The Villages

Settlement limits are designated for 25 villages to facilitate properly structured and appropriately scaled local growth, to protect the individual character of each settlement and to constrain ribbon development and urban sprawl in the surrounding countryside. The villages vary greatly in size, form and function and the settlement limits are designated to reflect physical features, the availability of services and the scale and nature of development pressure.

Many of the villages display considerable character. In order to safeguard nature conservation and built heritage interests, and to maintain their attractiveness and amenity, a number of measures and proposals are adopted and are identified on the Settlement Maps:

• Areas of Townscape Character are designated in those places that have a distinct character based on their historic form (see Plan Policy CON 7);

• Local Landscape Policy Areas are designated in those locations with intrinsic environmental value (see Plan Policy CON 2);

• important views within and adjacent to the settlements, which merit special consideration in assessing development proposals, are identified (see Plan Policy CON 3);

• areas of existing public recreation/open space are identified;

• where access to potential development land is limited due to the presence of existing buildings or because of difficult topography, protected access points are identified to facilitate future development (see Plan Policy SETT 2);

• the locations of Community Woodlands, which will be provided over the plan period, are identified (see Plan Policy AGRI 1);

• an Area of Archaeological Potential is identified in Moneymore (see Plan Policy CON 5); and

• in association with development proposals, assessment and evaluation of potential archaeological remains within the Area of Archaeological Potential in Moneymore will normally be required (see Plan Policy CON 5).