9.39 The Taylor Review of Rural Economy and Affordable Housing "Living, Working Countryside" (2008) reported that all types of business and enterprise can be appropriate for rural areas, subject to assessment of their impact based on local circumstances and conditions. This does not mean that all forms of economic activity are acceptable in rural areas. As stated in PPS4, economic development should be strictly controlled in the open countryside away from existing settlements, or outside areas allocated for development. Whilst there is a need to provide good quality jobs, it is important that the environmental quality of the District is not damaged and consequently it is necessary to limit the amount of new development in the countryside in accordance with the Core Strategy .

9.40 Policy SS2 Development in Rural Settlements states that in rural settlements within the open countryside, small-scale employment opportunities will be supported although they may not be readily accessible by public transport, as long as the development is commensurate with the scale and nature of that settlement. This approach recognises the need to diversify the economy, to develop sectors in the rural area that are not necessarily land based, such as creative industries, but which help to diversify the economy as a whole, as long as they are of suitable size and type.