1. The land is subject to a Promotion Agreement with ESCO Developments Ltd who are being advised by Brown & Co alongside Savills on behalf of the landowners. The following comments are submitted in support of the suggested allocation of the land at Buckenham Lane (ref GNDP0296) for housing.
2. It is noted that the site is classified as being suitable for housing development in the Council's Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) 2017. However, a number of technical issues are identified as potential constraints on development, and these issues are addressed below.
Highway access
3. Access to the site is available directly off both Buckenham Lane and Buckenham Road. It is acknowledged that Buckenham Lane is narrow and can be widened, if necessary, as both sides of Buckenham Lane are in the same land ownership and can be widened to accept an element of the development from an access on the western side. Buckenham Road is wide enough to accept traffic that would be associated with the proposed site and both roads are within the 30 mph speed limit of the village. Both access points would be constructed in accordance with relevant highway standards. Suitable provision would also be made for pedestrian movement along Buckenham Road and Buckenham Lane to connect with Norwich Road and the rest of the footpath network in the village.
4. It is noted that Norwich Road provides a direct link to the village centre and is constructed to a good standard, providing for two -way traffic. and benefitting from street lighting. The road is subject to 30mph speed limit. The existing junction of Norwich Road/Buckenham Road is suitable to be this access route. The existing highway verges on both Buckenham Lane and Buckenham Road currently provide safe refuge for pedestrians and would in the future facilitate the construction of any necessary new footway links.
Access to services
5. Lingwood is identified in the current Joint Core Strategy as a Service Village and has a newly built Primary Academy, a new village hall, shops and a public house. The site is within 400 metres of the Primary Academy and village hall. In addition, the railway station is a further 300 metres along Station Road. The village store is within 100 metres of the site being sited on the south side of Norwich Road very close to the site and the Lingwood Chippy opposite. We believe, therefore, the location of services in the village, would be readily accessible from it on foot or by bicycle to the proposed site.
6. A number of bus services operate on weekdays and Saturdays through the village, providing links to Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Wroxham. There are bus services running from Norwich Road, service 15A (to Wymondham operated by first bus), 74 (Little Plumstead - Blofield - Brundall - Lingwood - Great Yarmouth operated by Ourhire), 292 (Cantley - Brundall - Wroxham operated by Ourhire). The nearest bus station is located approximately 5 minutes walk from the site.
7. Accordingly, it is considered that the proposal development would benefit from good access to local services, and would accord with local and national planning policies which indicate that to promote sustainable development in rural areas, housing should be located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities. Given their accessibility, existing local businesses and services would be likely to derive support from the development due to the addition to the local economy of the spending power of new residents. In these respects, the proposal would support the social and economic dimensions of sustainability as defined in the NPPF.
8. It is acknowledged that the site is in a rural location, residents of the proposed development would be reliant to a degree on car travel for their main shopping and leisure trips. However, a number of sustainable transport options would nonetheless be available to access local services, including walking, cycling and public transport (i.e. train and bus).
Significant Landscapes
9. The land proposed for development comprises an open field located on the southern edge of the village, but is well-contained visually by existing housing to the north and west and by established boundary hedges and trees. From Norwich Road, views of the proposed houses would be limited to views along the eastern boundary along Buckenham Road and to the west via Buckenham Lane. Consequently, whilst the proposal would inevitably result in a loss of openness, its impact on the landscape setting of the village and the character of the area generally would be contained with a visual gap being maintained between Lingwood and Strumpshaw. There are no specific landscape designations in the immediate area of the site. The land is generally flat in character with countryside hedges and individual mature trees. The proposal would be consistent in form with surrounding developments, keeping with the residential property on either side of the road.
10. The established pattern of development in the vicinity is mixed, but is made up predominantly of detached and semi-detached houses and bungalows set in good sizes plots. Historically, development has extended to the north of Norwich Road towards the railway station and beyond. The proposed development would mirror previous development in the village which has occurred between the principal roads running north and south off Norwich Road.
11. The proposal would be consistent in form with these developments and so would not appear out of place. The density of development envisaged of around 30DPH would also be compatible with its surroundings and would enable the relatively spacious character of the area to be maintained.
Utilities Infrastructure
12. We do not believe there is any fundamental impediment to the delivery of the site through any constraints relating to utilities infrastructure. The increase in capacity can be built into the new development.
Flooding
13. The site falls with Flood Risk Zone 1 (low risk). Further technical work, including a site-specific flood risk assessment, is being commissioned to demonstrate that the proposed development would not be a risk of flooding or be likely to result in an increased flood risk elsewhere in the locality. This will submitted in support of the proposed development as soon as possible.
Delivery of development
14. No significant infrastructure constraints have been identified to date which would be likely to delay or impede the development of the site for housing. The site is in a single ownership and no further land is needed to enable the land to be brought forward for development. The land is currently available for development and so, subject to approval being given, could delivery housing in the short term.
15. The proposed development would make a positive contribution to the supply of high quality housing in the area and could facilitate improvements to the local utilities capacity. The proposal would also add to the range of housing sites available in the locality, providing flexibility and a wider choice of development opportunities to the market, and thus strengthening the local supply of housing land. By providing sufficient land of the right type in the right place to support growth the development would address the economic dimension of sustainable development, as defined in the NPPF.