Policy OS 3: Outdoor Recreation in the Countryside

The Department will permit the development of proposals for outdoor recreational use in the countryside where all the following criteria are met: (i) there is no adverse impact on features of importance to nature conservation, archaeology or built heritage; (ii) there is no permanent loss of the best and most versatile agricultural land and no unacceptable impact on nearby agricultural activities; (iii) there is no adverse impact on visual amenity or the character of the local landscape and the development can be readily absorbed into the landscape by taking advantage of existing vegetation and/or topography; (iv) there is no unacceptable impact on the amenities of people living nearby; (v) public safety is not prejudiced and the development is compatible with other countryside uses in terms of the nature, scale, extent and frequency or timing of the recreational activities proposed; (vi) any ancillary buildings or structures are designed to a high standard, are of a scale appropriate to the local area and are sympathetic to the surrounding environment in terms of their siting, layout and landscape treatment; (vii) the proposed facility takes into account the needs of people with disabilities and is, as far as possible, accessible by means of transport other than the private car; and (viii) the road network can safely handle the extra vehicular traffic the proposal will generate and satisfactory arrangements are provided for access, parking, drainage and waste disposal.