Public Benefit Justification for Enabling Development

The justification for allowing the Enabling Development lies in the overriding public benefit to be derived from the implementation of the principal proposal which otherwise would have little prospect of being carried out. It is intended that this policy will only be used as a last resort where the long-term public benefit of securing an important heritage asset decisively outweighs the disadvantages of departing from normal policy presumptions. It allows for assessment of these proposals as a preliminary requirement and is not to be implemented if the Council is not convinced that there is a significant public benefit to be gained. Such an approach seeks to resolve problems arising from the inherent needs of the heritage asset, rather than address the circumstances of the owner.