Please read in conjunction with our response to question 15.

The commitment in paragraph 5 of the draft plan to “build on our strengths” and particularly “to help turn our world class knowledge and ideas into world class jobs, particularly in sciences and biotechnology, agri tech, food and drink, information and communication technology (ICT), digital creative industries and high-value engineering” is supported.

The draft plan also sets out that it “will support growth of a diverse low carbon economy which will compete globally through its world class knowledge-intensive jobs in the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor” (paragraph 108).

It also seeks to:
“strengthen Greater Norwich’s role as a key part of the national economy with the Cambridge Norwich Tech corridor becoming an increasingly important axis linking to two other nationally significant growth corridors” (Delivery Statement page 36).

Glavenhill Ltd’s concern is whether these commitments will be achieved through the preferred growth strategy and particularly whether the allocations for housing and employment are adequate and in the right place to achieve this goal.

In terms of employment, it is notable that only 0.8 ha of new land is to be allocated in addition to the available 20 hectares of employment land at Hethel within the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor. No new allocations are made anywhere else within the corridor.

Glavenhill Ltd consider that the allocation of additional employment land linked to the first phase of a new settlement at Hethel would provide a tangible commitment to delivering on the stated vision and objectives set out above.

The plan allocates employment sites totalling around 360 hectares including land on the strategic sites referred to above.

Notably, at paragraph 3.44 of the GVA 2017 report. It states:
“The Norwich urban area extends beyond the city centre, accommodating a diverse array of economic activity within its various business parks, industrial estates and specialist facilities. Often these sites make a distinct offer to businesses which, given the scale of each, is likely to direct the future nature of activity and development. As such infill, intensification and redevelopment of the existing estates will act as important locations for a range of activities, however, may offer few options to diversify the existing portfolio.”

Norfolk County Council’s Employment Land Monitoring Report 2018-2019[1], states that whilst there may be in excess of 400 hectares of monitored employment land (‘monitored land’ is land without planning permission) there are only 48.4 hectares of employment land with outline planning permission across the County. Clearly, in itself, land with outline planning permission can be speculative in nature.

In summary, we submit, that the emerging GNLP will be reliant upon an employment land supply that is not flexible or diverse enough; that is not ambitious enough; is made up of key sites which either have infrastructure constraints to delivery, or have other environmental constraints to expansion; and as such the emerging GNLP plan will conflict with the NPPF and is unsound.