I am writing in response to the proposal to add site GNLP2019 (20-25 houses) to the existing but yet unbuilt COL1 site of 30 houses. I object to this proposal in the strongest terms.

Any new development will create additional traffic movements. Rectory Road is a narrow residential street, generally parked along one side, effectively being single carriageway for sections. It also has the school, doctors’ surgery, village hall, bowling green and a large football pitch pavilion and car park. All of these and in particular the school and football pitch generate large amounts of traffic at peak times.

Traffic and parking issues on Rectory Road have led the bus operator to reduce services through this road.

There is a history of speeding and accidents on Rectory Road and in 2010 a footpath was added to increase safety for pedestrians. This scheme also reduced the road width necessitating the road to become one-way northbound. Unfortunately the one way section in front of site COL1 (and consequently GNLP 2019) has become a raceway for drivers who leaving the parked up sections of the road accelerate along the one way section and over the blind brow of the railway bridge. Also there is a constant issue with drivers ignoring the one way system and proceeding south along the same blind section. All of this was ignored in passing permission for COL1. This road is dangerous and should not have to suffer further traffic and congestion.

The statement that Coltishall has a wide range of core and secondary services is incorrect with school and doctors’ surgery capacity limited. Scope for employment in the village is also limited so new homeowners will have to commute. Public transport is very limited with the last bus leaving Norwich at 18,12 weekdays and during the day buses a full by the time they reach Coltishall, hardly good public transport links.

The village has to deal with much increased traffic since developments in North Walsham and Hoveton/ Wroxham. The advent of the NDR has hugely increased traffic volumes, and yet there are only two bridges over the river Bure on the A1151 and B1150. If one is obstructed the other cannot cope. They barely cope at peak times anyway. Development on the Coltishall/ Hoveton side of the Bure should be stopped at once – and yet 2130 houses are proposed at North Walsham alone… madness.

All traffic leaving this development for Norwich will have to access the B1150 at two busy and dangerous junctions. These are also crossing points for pedestrians from Ling Way and the station area (poor visibility in both directions). There are no safe crossings with the current level of traffic. A schoolhirl was knocked down at the Ling Way crossing two years ago but in spite of a new light crossing, flashing signs and the 30mph limit, many drivers are still doing 60 at this point. This precise junction is a known problem for speeding with regular speed traps there.

If there is a traffic restriction in the village centre, Rectory Road and Westbourne Road become unofficial relief roads for all traffic with chaotic and dangerous consequences.

Infrastructure on Rectory Road is hardly reliable. In the last five years we have had two water main leaks, a gas main leak and a serious power cable failure, all within 50metres of the site. Yet the supporting details for the COL1 planning permission was told of no issues. The sewer in the village runs to Belaugh and before Christmas 2019 blocked - flooding lower properties in the village.

The site will be visually damaging to the area, the northern aspect borders the Bure Valley Railway amenity and will be visible from the B1150 approaching Coltishall. The Eastern aspect will dominate the view from St James. These are areas appreciated for their attractive amenity and visitors cannot believe the site is to be developed. The existing 1960s bungalows opposite the site have low roof pitches and trees behind, a crowd of ugly steeply pitched orange/red and black/grey roofs crowding the aspect will be dreadful and will not be mitigated by landscaping, the point being it is an open view.

A historical note to the whole site is that when the farm sold the land around 2010, the Broadland DC planners advised an enquirer that it would not be considered for development being outside the permitted development border and having highways issues.

I feel that I’ve been through this too many times and common sense is ignored. Exactly the same issues were prevalent when COL1 was a planning application stage. We have not seen the effects of that site and will not for at least two years. The village is much more congested since the NDR and we are consulting on increasing a development which is not yet built!

Please understand that while there is a housing crisis, the legacy of poor and rushed decisions are ruining areas just to meet arbitrary targets. And why don’t we at least get the existing housing stock more occupied – that’s the achievable priority.