Comment

Representation ID: 22260

Received: 16/03/2020

Respondent: Carter Jonas LLP

Number of people: 2

The affordable housing requirements in Policy 5: Homes are noted, including that the affordable housing requirement is lower for development in Norwich compared with Broadland and South Norfolk. However, it is normal for strategic extensions and new settlements/garden villages to not provide policy compliant levels of affordable housing during the initial phases of development because of the costs of providing primary infrastructure e.g. roads, drainage, strategic landscaping, and community uses in advance of residential development. It is very unlikely, and potentially undesirable, for affordable housing requirements to be increased for later phases of development at strategic extensions and new settlements to address under-delivery in initial phases. Therefore, it is considered that the strategic extension identified as reasonable alternatives for housing allocations at Costessey would not meet the policy requirements for affordable housing. In these circumstances, other sites that can deliver policy compliant levels of affordable housing should be identified in emerging GNLP. The preferred allocation at land to the west of Green Lane West in Rackheath (Ref. GNLP0172) and the promoted development at land off Townhouse Road in Costessey (Ref. GNLP0284R) will both deliver affordable housing. The planning application for the proposed development at Green Lane West in Rackheath provided for 33% of the dwellings to be for affordable housing.