This site is identified for a strategic extension on the north eastern edge of Wymondham for 1,500 dwellings. It is identified as a reasonable alternative housing allocation and as a contingency site for Wymondham to offset non-delivery. The lead-in times for these types of developments are typically more than 5 years, largely because they are complex and require significant levels of primary infrastructure to be provided e.g. roads and drainage in advance of housing. Therefore, it is very unlikely that this strategic extension would be delivered quickly enough to address non-delivery of housing at existing commitments and allocations. As such, this site does not meet the requirements for a contingency site, and should not be identified as a reasonable alternative in the emerging GNLP.

The site is located within the strategic gap between Wymondham and Hethersett, and development in this location would reduce that gap and lead to coalescence of the settlements, which would be contrary to the purpose of this landscape designation. It is considered that development in this location would have an impact on the landscape setting of the town. As set out in the commentary on the findings of the site assessments of this site, the landscape impact of development at this site in the Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment should be scored ‘red’, and in the Sustainability Appraisal should be identified as ‘major adverse’. For these reasons the site should not have been identified as a reasonable alternative for housing. In addition, the site is not well-related to the town centre.

It is requested that this site is deleted as a reasonable alternative housing allocation.