Planning Control Principle 1: Increased Housing Density without Town Cramming

An increase in the density of housing development should be promoted in town and city centres and other locations which benefit from high accessibility to public transport facilities. It should also form an integral part of major housing or mixed-use development proposals. When considering an increase in housing density in established residential areas, great care should be taken to ensure that local character, environmental quality and amenity are not significantly eroded and that the proposed density, together with the form, scale, massing and layout of the new development will respect that of adjacent housing and safeguard the privacy of existing residents. In residential areas of distinctive townscape character an increase in density should only be allowed in exceptional circumstances.