Policies S2 and CO1 state that outside of identified settlements development will be appropriately controlled. Development will be supported where it accords with other relevant policies contained in the Local Plan that provide for appropriately scaled development in the countryside where such a location is deemed essential. Where proposals in the countryside are not addressed by other policies in the Local Plan, new development must demonstrate that there are specific countryside needs. The outline proposal is for 5 dwellings with the indicative plan submitted showing 2 of the dwellings would be on land outside of the development boundary of Shipham, a tier 3 settlement. The land outside of the development boundary is not an identified housing allocation as designated by the Sedgemoor Local Plan and does not accord with other relevant policies in the Local Plan that provide for development in the countryside such as meeting an affordable housing need. Therefore, a specific countryside need has not been demonstrated that would provide support for the development in this location such as meeting the needs of the agricultural industry or demonstrated that a countryside location is essential or more sustainable. It is considered that the small contribution to housing supply and the limited benefits of the development carry minimal weight when viewed against the harm arising from conflict with the adopted spatial strategy as it would result in the provision of dwellings on a site that is outside of the settlement boundary of a tier 3 settlement. Therefore the proposal is considered to be contrary to Policies S2, T3a, and CO1 of the Sedgemoor District Local Plan 2011-2032.

Section 15 of the National Planning Policy Framework attaches great weight to the conservation and enhancement of landscape and scenic beauty in National Landscapes, which have the highest status of protection. Policy D19 of the Sedgemoor Local Plan states that development within the Mendip Hills AONB (National Landscape) will only be supported where it conserves or ehances the exception character and quality of the landscape and that where there is potential for harm to be caused this is negated through appropriate mitigation measures. The site currently consists of a bungalow within a large garden plot and also includes land to the north of the dwelling, which is currently open and undeveloped and within the boudaries of the designated Mendip Hills National Landscape. The outline proposal is for 5 dwellings, with the indicative layout showing two plots projecting further north into the National Landscape and beyond the existing prevailing ribbon pattern of development along North Down Lane. The development would be readily apparent from public viewpoints and the loss of greenfield land and potentially trees and landscape features from this area of the protected landscape would fail to conserve or enhance the landscape designated as nationally important. The development would give rise to material impacts that are considered harmful to the area's protected character, primarily arising from the proposed density and indicative layout, which appears dominated by hard surfacing. This density also suggests that parking provision is likely to form a prominent feature and suggests a central corridor of hard surfacing to gain access to the rear of the site that falls within the National Landscape, which would neither conserve nor enhance the National Landscape or its setting. Furthermore, the density of the scheme, relative to the site area, limits opportunities for meaningful landscape mitigation or enhancement. Therefore, the outline proposal for 5 dwellings would be contrary to Policy D19 of the Sedgemoor Local Plan and section 15 of the National Planning Policy Framework.