Comment
Draft Greater Norwich Local Plan – Part 1 The Strategy
Representation ID: 22409
Received: 16/03/2020
Respondent: Horsham Properties Ltd
Agent: Mrs Georgina Brotherton
Draft Policy 7.4 ‘Village Clusters’
3.8 Horsham and Newton St Faith are identified as village cluster 17 with the GNLP consultation. Policy 7.4 ‘Village Clusters’ includes a table that sets out allocated employment areas within all the village clusters. The existing employment allocation (site reference HNF3) land West of Abbey Farm Commercial Park is not included within this table. Given that the site is allocated, and is proposed to be carried forward as an employment allocation in the GNLP, and the site owners intend to submit a planning application this Spring for its development for employment use, we request that the site is included in the Table.
3.9 As well as identifying specific allocated employment sites, Policy 7.4 states “other small-scale employment development will be acceptable in principle elsewhere within village development boundaries or through the re-use of rural buildings”.
3.10 We consider that the policy as drafted is not flexible enough to meet the changing requirements of businesses or facilitate development not anticipated by the Local Plan within rural areas. We therefore request that the policy is amended to allow for the expansion of small and medium sized employment sites. This change would align with national policy within the NPPF that requires policies to be flexible enough to enable businesses to expand and adapt.
3.11 With the above national policy context in mind, we consider draft Policy 7.4 is not flexible enough to meet the changing requirements of businesses and request that the penultimate paragraph of Policy 7.4 is amended to allow for the expansion of small and medium sized sites, such as Abbey Farm Commercial Park. We therefore request that the penultimate paragraph of Policy 7.4 is amended as follows: • Other small-scale employment development will be acceptable in principle elsewhere within village development boundaries or through the re-use of rural buildings or through the potential expansion of existing small and medium sized employment sites (LPP suggested text) subject to meeting other policies in the development plan.
On behalf of our client, Horsham Properties Ltd and owner of Abbey Farm Commercial Park at Horsham St Faith, we write in respect of the Greater Norwich Local Plan, Regulation 18 - Part 1, The Strategy and Part 2 Site Allocations Consultation, published January 2020.
Please find attached LPP’s statement that sets out our representations regarding Site Reference HNF3 – Land at Abbey Farm Commercial Park, Horsham St Faith, that is allocated for employment uses within the Broadland District Council Site Allocations Development Plan Document (2016) and is identified as ‘Carried Forward Employment Allocation’ within the draft Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP) (2020).
This statement also considers the policies contained within Part 1 The Strategy set out within the draft GNLP and provides representations in respect of Policy 6 ‘The Economy’, Policy 7.4 ‘Village Clusters’ and responses to questions 6, 10, 15, 34 and 46. A response to each question has also been submitted via the GNLP online consultation portal.
This statement additionally identifies and seeks the allocation of land north of Abbey Farm Commercial Park (0.9 hectares), as a further modest extension to the Commercial Park for employment use.