Policy information sourced from Dacorum Local Plan 2004 Alteration

10 Optimising the Use of Urban Land

Vacant or underused land and buildings should be brought into the appropriate use(s) as soon as practicable through new building, conversion, adaptation or other alteration.

Temporary uses will be permitted in the interim provided they are compatible with the character of the surrounding area and would not prejudice the achievement of any specific proposal in the plan or any other appropriate permanent use of the site. Policy 117 applies to the interim use of green field sites reserved for future development.

Proposals for new development will be judged against the following principles to secure the optimum use of land in the long term:

  • All development must be planned and implemented in a coordinated way, taking a comprehensive view of potential development opportunities in the immediate area wherever possible.
  • General building development should be designed to achieve the maximum density compatible with the character of the area, surrounding land uses and other environmental policies in the plan.
  • The design and layout of new development should not inhibit positive management of land and buildings. Arrangements for future management should be put in place in appropriate schemes.
  • Development should be accessible by a range of transport options, including passenger transport.

In particular, building development will be permitted if it :

  • makes optimum use of the land available, whether in terms of site coverage or height; or
  • contributes towards or provides for the reasonable sharing of facilities, such as off street car parking; or
  • does not prevent other land coming forward for development in the future; or
  • helps to achieve a comprehensively planned development framework.

Building development may be implemented in phases, provided each individual phase:

  • is designed so that it can be integrated within the wider development framework;
  • does not inhibit the implementation of later phases of the development; and
  • complies with all relevant design and environmental policies of the Plan and would not frustrate the objectives of providing an appropriate level of affordable housing in accordance with Policy 20.

For more information please see the Local Plan