Object

Draft Local Plan-Part 2 Site Allocations

Representation ID: 20736

Received: 12/03/2020

Respondent: Dacre Property Holdings

Agent: Bidwells

Representation Summary:

We wish to withdraw our support for the proposed residential allocation of the eastern part of the site (84-120 Ber Street and Mariner’s Lane Car Park) on the basis that it is no longer available for residential purposes. Land to the west (147-153 Ber Street) remains available, and the current allocation (CC2) for a minimum of 20 dwellings on this part of the site should be carried forward.

Full text:

On behalf of my client Dacre Property Holdings, we wish to withdraw our support for the proposed residential allocation of the eastern part of the site (84-120 Ber Street and Mariner’s Lane Car Park).

Dacre Property Holdings, the site owners, have confirmed that the site is no longer likely to be available for residential purposes during the timeframe of the draft Local Plan, due to recent changes to the leases on parts of the site, which now run to 2035. Therefore, whilst the site remains suitable, in principle, for residential development, there is no certainty that residential development will come forward during the Plan period. Consequently, the site does not meet the definitions of ‘deliverable’ or ‘developable’ contained in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) glossary, as there is not a “reasonable prospect” of the site being available for this purpose. Therefore, the housing allocation on this part of the site should not be taken forward in the Greater Norwich Local Plan, as it is not sound.

The land to the west side of Ber Street (144-153), which is subject to a current allocation in the Adopted Local Plan (CC2), remains available for redevelopment, for a range of uses as suggested in the draft policy GNLP2159 (i.e. residential with office/commercial uses at ground floor and/or educational uses).

In light of the above it is requested that the wording of Policy GNLP2159 is revised to reflect the reduced site area, and reduced quantum of development. It is suggested that the current allocation (CC2) for a minimum of 20 dwellings is carried forward.