Object

Representation ID: 22443

Received: 16/03/2020

Respondent: Mr Derek Jones

Number of people: 2

Agent: Bidwells

Benefits of the Proposals
The benefits of the emerging development proposals for the site, captured within planning application ref: 20191938, are summarised below:
• The site is located to the centre of the village, immediately adjacent to the existing settlement limit and residential development. Development in this location would represent a logical and proportionate extension to the existing settlement, mirroring the built form of existing residential properties on Hare Road, integrating into the local setting in accordance with Policies 1 and 2 of the Great and Little Plumstead Neighbourhood Plan;
• The live planning application for the site seeks to deliver 10no. single storey dwellings, in response to a growing demand for single-storey properties to serve Norfolk’s ageing population;
• Delivery of footpath links on Hare Road and Water Lane. The Great Plumstead, Little Plumstead and Thorpe End Garden Village Neighbourhood Plan (2015) identifies accessibility to services in the village as an issue, to be addressed through the enhancement of footpaths, especially along Water Lane, which links Great Plumstead to Little Plumstead. Similarly, Hare Road is not served by any footpaths currently, leading to potentially unsafe pedestrian conditions on the road. To remedy this, the site can accommodate a footpath to serve new dwellings on the site and the existing dwellings along Hare Road, thereby providing an important community benefit. Moreover, our client is willing to provide land to facilitate the delivery of a footpath extension on Water Lane, to achieve a long-standing Community Aspiration CA2 within the Neighbourhood Plan (see Appendix 1);
• Delivery of a range of traffic calming measures, to reinforce the 20mph speed limit through the village, and realignment of Hare Road/Church Road junction to deliver compliant visibility splays;
• Payment of CIL contribution, 25% of which will be directed to Plumstead Parish Council, to assist in delivering the aspirations contained within the Neighbourhood Plan;

‘Small Sites’ Contribution
GNLP0420R covers a site area of approximately 0.871ha. This site area is reflected within the emerging development proposals for the site. Moreover, the site can accommodate residential development of between 10-15 dwellings.

The site therefore meets the required criterion for small sites, which the GNLP team are endeavouring to allocate across the South Norfolk and Broadland Village Clusters. The NPPF requires Local Plans to accommodate, through the development plan and brownfield registers, at least 10% of their housing requirement on sites no larger than one hectare (Paragraph 68). This has been implemented to encourage small-scale housebuilders, who can build out sites relatively quickly, and provide more flexibility and choice in the market place.

Land at Hare Road comprises a site of less than one hectare in size (0.871ha), which can be delivered quickly to achieve appropriate and proportionate growth in terms of Great Plumstead’s local context. This site would be taken forward by a small-scale housebuilder, and significant weight should be apportioned to its compliance with the NPPF in this respect.

The site could either form a discrete site allocation, or form part of a settlement boundary extension to Great Plumstead.

Great Plumstead is recognised within the draft GNLP as a suitable location for growth, and the rationale for excluding further growth within the village to 2038 is unclear. The following section will demonstrate that there are no site-specific constraints which would preclude the delivery of the site in the Plan period to 2038.

Site-Specific Constraints
As discussed within previous Representations, the site received a preliminary assessment of its suitability for residential development in October 2018 HELAA Addendum. All criterion received a Green rating, with the exception of Access, Accessibility to Services, Utilities Capacity and Transport and Roads, which received an Amber rating, indicating that the constrains can be addressed through a development proposal. The HELAA Addendum recognised that, while the availability of utilities remains unclear, there is no reason to consider these insurmountable. However, matters concerning access and drainage have been raised by statutory consultees and local residents, as part of the live planning application for the site. (please refer to attached document for further detail)

Drainage
Representations have been submitted in response to planning application ref: 20191938 concerning surface water flooding on Hare Road. Firstly, the site, and Hare Road, is not recognised by the Environment Agency as being located within an area of surface water flooding. This is reflected in the HELAA Assessment of the site, which attributes a ‘Green’ rating to the site in terms of Flood Risk.

Secondly, the emerging development proposals for the site can facilitate the delivery of a robust surface water drainage strategy, to prevent any increase in flood risk off-site. Prior to commencement of the development under construction at Church Road, there was a surface water drainage issue on the corner of Church Road and Water Lane. However, through implementation of planning application ref: 20161151, this has been eradicated through replacement of the highway surface water drains along the entire length of the site within the newly constructed footpath. It is envisaged that a similar enhancement can be achieved at Hare Road, through implementation of a drainage strategy associated with the development of GNLP0420.

From this, it is apparent that the drainage issues raised in response to planning application ref: 20191938 can be addressed through delivery of development on the site.

Deliverability and Proposed Housing Trajectory
The emerging development proposals for the site are being brought forward by Ingram Homes, a renowned local housebuilder with proven track record of housing delivery in Great Plumstead, as evidenced by the ongoing construction of land to the south of GNLP0420R.

GNLP0420R comprises a site of less than one hectare in size (0.871ha), which can be delivered quickly to achieve appropriate and proportionate growth in terms of Great Plumstead’s local context. Significant weight should be apportioned to its compliance with the NPPF in this respect.

Available
The site is within the ownership of Mr Derek Jones, who has instructed Bidwells to submit this representation on his behalf. The site is not restricted by any leases or restrictive covenants. The site is therefore readily available for development.

Achievable
Based on the suitability assessment above, there are no site-specific constraints which could threaten the delivery of residential development on the site.

Viable
We are confident that the delivery of the site is viable having regard to the policy requirements of the draft GNLP and there are no factors that we are aware of, at this moment in time, that could prevent the delivery of the site.

Summary
As demonstrated above, the site is suitable, available, achievable and viable, and is therefore deliverable and developable, in line with the NPPF. The site represents an appropriate and proportionate extension to Great Plumstead, and its allocation would ensure the delivery of an appropriate quantum of new housing in this highly sustainable location. As discussed, Ingram Homes’ progress in the preparation of a planning application for the site is testament to the deliverability of the site within the Plan period.

This Representation is submitted in response to the requirement for the GNLP to allocate more small sites within Village Clusters across South Norfolk and Broadland. Site GNLP0420R meets the parameters of a ‘small site’, set by the GNLP team, and represents a logical and proportionate extension to Great Plumstead in the Plan period to 2038. This is particularly relevant given that no alternative sites are identified in Great and Little Plumstead as being suitable for development. Accordingly, this Representation demonstrates that this specific site is a suitable location for further development, and should be allocated for residential development in the Plan period to 2038.