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12. ANP6: Local Services And Community Facilities

12.1To protect the local services and community facilities within the parish the Neighbourhood Plan includes a policy to safeguard the existing services and facilities and ensure any development is undertaken carefully and with consideration.

12.2A description of each facility and its community value is provided in the Community Facilities Report APPENDIX D and is shown on the policies MAP H. Collectively, these facilities are cherished by the community and offer a valuable and vital resource to support community life and therefore warrant the protection of policies.

12.3The policy supplements GLP Policy E5, Policy ID4 and ID7 which seek to retain accessible local shops, post office, meeting places, sports venues, open space, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship and ensure the long-term potential value of land in community use is not lost without good reason. Given the deep rural nature of the parish, the loss of any of these facilities would be significantly detrimental. Even though a specific type of community use may no longer be viable, the opportunity to retain the premises or land in this use or to develop a new community use is central to the policy.

12.4In addition to existing development plan, policies which protect these facilities and encourage new facilities, the policy also allows for a partial change of use of a facility, if this is intended to help secure their longer-term viability and resilience by utilising space that is no longer needed, but which can make a financial contribution to sustaining the facility. However, such changes must be shown not to undermine the community functions of the facility.

12.5The Use Class Order of September 2020 now deems such uses as either Class E, Class F2 (‘Local Community Uses’) or in the case of the Church, F1 (‘Learning and non-residential Institutions’). Pubs (although not included in this policy) are now deemed ‘sui generis’ (i.e. not included in any class of uses).

12.6The Community Choices Report 2016 illustrated a requirement for a nursery, and coffee shop in Albury village. The Rural Enterprise Report 2018 APPENDIX G, further supports this. Support should be given to incorporate them within existing Community Facilities where possible and the Parish Council is requested to look at this or other options. The Parish Council is also asked to give consideration to a Farm Shop and Farmers Market for the sale of locally produced produce.

Policy ANP6 – Local Services & Community Facilities

  1. The Neighbourhood Plan identifies the following community facilities, as shown on the Policy MAP H:

  1. Albury Village Hall

  2. Memorial Library

  3. Albury Bowls Club and Green

  4. The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Albury Village

  5. Albury Parish Allotments

  6. Recreation Ground

  7. Riverside Meadow

  8. The Old Saxon Church of St Peter and St Paul, Albury Park

  9. St Michael’s Church (The Barn Church), Farley Green

  10. Albury Sports Club Pavilion and Sports Ground

  1. Proposals that would enhance existing community facilities will be supported provided the improved/updated/new buildings or structures comply with national green belt policies and are designed and sited in such a way that their impact on the open nature and rural character of the area is preserved and avoids harm to Albury Heath SNCI, Albury Conservation Area and other heritage assets, where applicable. They should not have a harmful effect on the amenity of surrounding residents and be in accordance with the NPPF, Guildford Borough Local Plan policies, Neighbourhood Plan policies and the Albury Design Codes and Guidance APPENDIX A. Any enhancements to existing community facilities should also provide improved parking capacity to meet any increased demand on the facility.

  2. Proposals to change the use of, or part of a community, open space, sport or recreation facility including the multi-use (or for ancillary uses) of existing facilities that are surplus to requirements will only be supported where it can be clearly evidenced that any loss will not undermine the overall viability and importance of the community facility concerned – as set out in GBC Local Plan ID4 and ID7