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Council takes action to protect unspoilt land at Hailey

Swift action has been taken by the Council in an attempt to preserve the rural character and unspoilt nature of an area of agricultural land on the outskirts of Hailey, near Witney. The Council had been alerted that the land was to be sub-divided into plots and sold off as potential building land.

"Farm land is being offered for sale in small plots to people who may mistakenly feel there is some prospect of getting planning permission for a house," explains Cllr Verena Hunt, Cabinet Member for Planning. "New owners may wish to fence off their plot and make new accesses onto the highway or use the land for non-agricultural purposes. Ordinarily landowners enjoy permitted development rights for these various minor forms of development but in this case the District Council has had to act quickly to prevent serious harm occurring to an area of unspoilt countryside and alert prospective purchasers of the very limited prospects for development that exist in such remote, attractive rural locations."

The Chairman of Hailey Parish Council said, "Fencing off this piece of open agricultural land of high landscape value into lots of different plots will have a disastrous impact on the countryside, and especially for everyone living in Hailey. The Parish Council fully supports the action taken by the District Council."

The action taken by the Council has been to remove Permitted Development rights on the land and these include:

• erecting fences and other means of enclosures
• forming accesses to the highway
• moving portable buildings and structures on to the land
• using the land for any purposes for up to 28 days.

The land is approximately 40 acres and is at Turley Lane, Delly End, Hailey. The location is Greenfield Land in attractive open countryside away from any major settlement, partly within a conservation area and bordering ancient woodland, served by a single track road and would not be an appropriate location for new housing development.

If you require further information please contact  Phil Shaw, Area Planning Manager (Lowlands), on 01993 861687

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