Accommodation for Boat Dwellers

Accommodation for Boat Dwellers A. Built-up Areas In the Built-up Areas of settlements as defined on the Policies Map, proposals for permanent moorings on waterways will be considered against the following criteria: 1. They do not interfere with, or result in negative impacts on, navigation and navigational safety or the operational requirements of the waterway; 2. The historic or visual character of the waterway will be maintained or enhanced; 3. The biodiversity value of the water, its margins and nearby wildlife corridors will be maintained or enhanced; 4. There is good accessibility by walking, cycling and public transport to community facilities. 5. The site has suitable vehicular access, access for emergency vehicles and would not result in any unacceptable impact on highway safety; 6. Parking and service areas are well-designed in terms of safety, circulation and appearance 7. There is suitable and well-designed provision of essential utilities and servicing, including water supply, electricity and waste/sewage disposal facilities, and areas for showers, laundry and WCs. The provision of any new waste/sewage disposal facilities should be sited so as not to detract from the visual amenity of the waterway; 8. The use of adjacent paths will not be impeded; 9. The development will not restrict public access to the waterway; and 10. They do not cause environmental damage or nuisance. B. Open Countryside In the Open Countryside proposals for permanent moorings will only be considered where they are incorporated into a recreational mooring basin with good accessibility to community facilities and where the following criteria are met: 1. Development involving the loss or change of use of existing leisure moorings must ensure that at least 50% of the leisure moorings at the site are retained; 2. Moorings must integrate successfully with the surrounding landscape and/or townscape and result in a positive contribution to the waterway environment; 3. The site has suitable vehicular access, access for emergency vehicles and must not result in any unacceptable impact on highway safety; 4. Parking and service areas are well-designed in terms of safety, circulation and appearance, and provided in a communal area wherever feasible; 5. The historic or visual character of the waterway will be maintained or enhanced; 6. Only provide external lighting that is essential for safety, and which is designed to satisfactorily minimise light pollution; 7. Include sufficient amenity space at the site for utilities and servicing through a communal area; and 8. Not include individual garden areas, sheds, or storage units adjacent to each mooring. Policy Justification 5.4.13 Boat dwellers are not classed as an ethnic minority under the Equality Act (2010), but the Housing and Planning Act (2016) sets out a requirement to consider the needs of people residing in or resorting to places on inland waterways where houseboats can be moored. In line with draft government guidance published in 2016, our Accommodation Assessment examined boat dweller accommodation needs for the period 2024-2050. 5.4.14 Since the formulation of the study in 2024 a material change in the supply of residential moorings has been established. A local marina secured an established use certificate confirming that there were no restrictions on the numbers of permanent moorings it was allowed. This change of circumstances provides supply sufficient to meet the previously identified need of 35 permanent residential moorings across both Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick Districts over the plan period to 2050. 5.4.15 The GTAA acknowledges that there is currently no unmet need for permanent residential moorings, however it is considered important to ensure that there is an appropriate policy framework in place to assess any future proposals especially as the nature of boat dwelling continues to evolve. Proposals for new moorings will be required to demonstrate suitable access to facilities and services and must demonstrate th