Object
Draft Local Plan-Part 2 Site Allocations
Representation ID: 22714
Received: 16/03/2020
Respondent: Mr D Symonds
It has recently come to my attention of the proposals for a considerable number of new of new homes at Reedham. The serious lack of communication regarding these proposals is woeful and I understand that interested parties comments need to be received by 16th March 2020. I obviously have not seen plans for the two sites, but I know that one is situated at the end of my back garden. I will put forward my more ‘subjective responses’, but at an individual level I comment at the loss of the wonderful views that I once had from my garden and over the river valley (a feature included in the original sales literature for the cottage). I have now rewilded the back garden to try and maintain some sense of the natural landscape which is fast disappearing.
To my mind the way that the site fronting Station Road was initially developed was quite an eyesore, making it a fait accompli that the rest of the land would eventually follow the same fate. The village by and large has mainly developed piecemeal and more organically. The planning of new and further proposed development is in my view aesthetically unpleasant and doesn’t fit well in an environment on the margins of an environmentally sensitive area of such international importance. How long will it be before the street lights arrive and change the whole nature of the community environment. Some, however, may enjoy the bird song throughout the night.
At a more practical level Reedham has a very small village school, thriving and full I believe. We have a tiny and very part-time doctors surgery – travel to Acle medical centre is not always practical and possible for many. Reedham has only very small shop/post office facilities. I also understand that the main drainage/sewerage systems are constantly overloaded which is probably not helped by the current obsession to install brick-weave drives; a feature that seems to go hand-in-hand with new housing. Where does all that water go that once filtered into the land?
The main road to Acle is typically challenging in places. Who hasn’t encountered the army of delivery vans, lorries and school buses that use this route, together of course with the usage by farm and domestic traffic? I must assume that as Reedham grows then so will the essential services and infrastructure that supports it. One must follow the other, otherwise the whole development exercise is really a numbers game of achieving housing targets when the octopus-like development around the eastern/north-eastern corridors of Norwich are reaching unpalatable political levels. In addition to all this, is the real possibility with rising sea levels that this whole environment will see a return to the much more watery scene that it once was.
Mythology suggests that Reedham once had a lighthouse! This , of course, may not directly impact on housing development above the flood plan, but what of the village’s connectivity to the roads and railway? Much of our recently ‘modernised’ railway runs across the flood plains of the river. We have only to look at recent weather related events in this country to see how things can develop; we also have an adventurous north see knocking on our back door!
I appreciate that new homes are necessary for development and prosperity, but the rampant urbanisation to the north and east of Norwich is beginning to destroy the very special nature of Broadland that attracts visitors from far and wide. The nature of these development is creating the sort of urban environments that you expect to find in Essex or Hertfordshire. Do you really want the sort of developments that have been built around Blofield and Brundall to creep insidiously across the landscape and into the wonderful river valley? I hope not.
It is so important to be careful of how far you go before you destroy what other people find attractive about the region. To quote from an early environmentalist ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until its gone’. (Big Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell) How prophetic were these words on reflection.
I hope that you find these comments and observations useful and will give them due consideration in your efforts to fairly find appropriate housing in the district. I am sure that anybody who has ever tried to find a place to sit by the river in Brundall will endore my sentiments.
It has recently come to my attention of the proposals for a considerable number of new of new homes at Reedham. The serious lack of communication regarding these proposals is woeful and I understand that interested parties comments need to be received by 16th March 2020. I obviously have not seen plans for the two sites, but I know that one is situated at the end of my back garden. I will put forward my more ‘subjective responses’, but at an individual level I comment at the loss of the wonderful views that I once had from my garden and over the river valley (a feature included in the original sales literature for the cottage). I have now rewilded the back garden to try and maintain some sense of the natural landscape which is fast disappearing.
To my mind the way that the site fronting Station Road was initially developed was quite an eyesore, making it a fait accompli that the rest of the land would eventually follow the same fate. The village by and large has mainly developed piecemeal and more organically. The planning of new and further proposed development is in my view aesthetically unpleasant and doesn’t fit well in an environment on the margins of an environmentally sensitive area of such international importance. How long will it be before the street lights arrive and change the whole nature of the community environment. Some, however, may enjoy the bird song throughout the night.
At a more practical level Reedham has a very small village school, thriving and full I believe. We have a tiny and very part-time doctors surgery – travel to Acle medical centre is not always practical and possible for many. Reedham has only very small shop/post office facilities. I also understand that the main drainage/sewerage systems are constantly overloaded which is probably not helped by the current obsession to install brick-weave drives; a feature that seems to go hand-in-hand with new housing. Where does all that water go that once filtered into the land?
The main road to Acle is typically challenging in places. Who hasn’t encountered the army of delivery vans, lorries and school buses that use this route, together of course with the usage by farm and domestic traffic? I must assume that as Reedham grows then so will the essential services and infrastructure that supports it. One must follow the other, otherwise the whole development exercise is really a numbers game of achieving housing targets when the octopus-like development around the eastern/north-eastern corridors of Norwich are reaching unpalatable political levels. In addition to all this, is the real possibility with rising sea levels that this whole environment will see a return to the much more watery scene that it once was.
Mythology suggests that Reedham once had a lighthouse! This , of course, may not directly impact on housing development above the flood plan, but what of the village’s connectivity to the roads and railway? Much of our recently ‘modernised’ railway runs across the flood plains of the river. We have only to look at recent weather related events in this country to see how things can develop; we also have an adventurous north see knocking on our back door!
I appreciate that new homes are necessary for development and prosperity, but the rampant urbanisation to the north and east of Norwich is beginning to destroy the very special nature of Broadland that attracts visitors from far and wide. The nature of these development is creating the sort of urban environments that you expect to find in Essex or Hertfordshire. Do you really want the sort of developments that have been built around Blofield and Brundall to creep insidiously across the landscape and into the wonderful river valley? I hope not.
It is so important to be careful of how far you go before you destroy what other people find attractive about the region. To quote from an early environmentalist ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until its gone’. (Big Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell) How prophetic were these words on reflection.
I hope that you find these comments and observations useful and will give them due consideration in your efforts to fairly find appropriate housing in the district. I am sure that anybody who has ever tried to find a place to sit by the river in Brundall will endore my sentiments.