HINGHAM TOWN COUNCIL COMMENTS
POLICY HIN2


Although HIN2 is the “designated” employment area in Hingham under the GNLP, there are no timescales for this area being developed to increase employment opportunities.

There is concern regarding the proximity of the required access to GNLP0520 to the existing industrial area. Already subject to frequent movements of long wheel-base HGVs emerging slowly from a standstill from Ironside Way/A C Bacon Engineering onto the B1108/Norwich Road whilst encountering oncoming domestic traffic within 300metres of a national speed limit and entering from a blind bend. Local residents frequently note near misses between domestic and industrial vehicles at the Ironside Way/A C Bacon Engineering junctions. The allocation (carried forward) of HIN2 as an employment area (stating that the existing access of Ironside Way will be used) means that at some point there will be increased industrial traffic of unknown size and frequency exiting and accessing the industrial/employment area to and from the B1108.
Highways have commented that there would need to be a pedestrian refuge in the vicinity of Ironside Way, however the Town Council question whether this is feasible due to any carriageway widening required/presence of TPO trees and how such a refuge would impinge on the very large HGV vehicles entering/exiting the industrial area.
The existence of HIN2 should be a key factor in deeming GNLP0520 as unsuitable for housing development due to the close proximity of the 2 sites and access to them within a short distance on the same busy road.