Object
Site Proposals document
Representation ID: 13696
Received: 09/03/2018
Respondent: Judy Halls
Jolly's Lane is a rural setting in an old part of Acle. It is used for recreational purposes and links the South side of Acle to surrounding villages for pedestrians and cyclists. It is too far from the village for most people to shop or visit by foot, so would dramatically increase car traffic. The lane is bordered by hedgerows which team with wildlife. 507 houses would increase Acle's population by approx 35% (assuming 2 people per property).
Jolly's Lane is a narrow lane with no footpaths, which is used as a recreational walking and cycling route by pedestrians from Acle and Beighton, especially by those on The Hill, Damgate Lane, and The Beighton estate near the A47. For people living in these areas this is the only quiet and safe walking and cycling route linking the Reedham Road with Beighton Road (other than going into the village and out again via the station/A47 slip road, which only has pedestrian access on one side). This route then connects to Church Lane, Sandy Lane, and a number of bridlepaths, footpaths and quiet roads which link to Moulton, Freethorpe,Lingwood, Brundall and Strumpshaw. This would be ruined by a development of this size on Jolly's Lane.
A development of 507 properties would increase the population of Acle by nearly 35% (assuming 2 people per property). Acle does not have the infrastructure to cope e.g. the Doctor's Surgery already struggles with capacity. I doubt the sewerage would cope. It would also totally change the nature of the village, especially to the South of Acle, which is currently relatively isolated with a rural feel and mainly old properties. Jolly's Lane is outside the sites for development in Acle's Village Plan.
Jolly's Lane is split from the main village by the A47 village and for most people would be too far for visiting the village by foot (and there is no footpath to the village) so most people would see a car as vital for everyday use. This would dramatically increase traffic into the village, either by going down Beighton Road North and crossing the A47 slip road, or by going to the Reedham Road where there is a blind bend and a narrowish road with restricted height under the A47 bridge.
The turning on to the Reedham Road from Jolly's Lane is on a bend and access is not easy here, also at this point cars tend to speed towards the village along the Reedham Road.
There is a lot of wildlife in the hedgerows which run along most of Jolly's lane, and presumably along the hedges which back onto the railway. Buzzard's nest at the Beighton Road end of Jolly's Lane.