Object
Draft Greater Norwich Local Plan – Part 1 The Strategy
Representation ID: 23070
Received: 16/03/2020
Respondent: Orbit Homes
Agent: David Lock Associates
We support and agree with the Vision insofar as it provides a sound basis for the Local Plan and
focuses on the pertinent issues that are key to the success of the area. The Vision and Objectives,
however, need to be effectively translated into policies and allocations within the Plan. There are
a number of important areas where there is a risk of misalignment, as evidenced below:
• The first paragraph of the Vision relates to a ‘low-carbon’ economy and to competing
globally through world class knowledge intensive jobs in the Cambridge–Norwich Tech
Corridor. To realise this ambition and economic objective of the Plan requires policies
that will encourage and support the success of the Corridor by ensure that it has the jobs,
homes and infrastructure it needs to flourish. This is not evident in the current draft Plan
allocations and policies.
• The GNDP rightly envision that there will be a variety of new homes that will cater for the
needs of all and that most homes will be built in and around Norwich and in the Cambridge
Norwich Tech Corridor. We do not consider that the allocations within the draft plan will meet the needs of all, or be in the right place to do so in a sustainable way: the current
draft plan results in 69% of the housing growth in the plan period coming from the Norwich
Urban area. We do not dispute that the Urban Area should be a focus for growth but with
almost 70% of the identified need relying on the urban area, the spatial strategy simply
does not align with the Vision and Objectives and thus risks not meeting the requirements
of those for whom the new housing is designed to satisfy. Whilst we acknowledge that
Norwich itself is understood to be included within the Tech Corridor, it is clear that in
spatial and policy terms Norwich Urban Area and the Corridor are considered as two
separate growth areas. With so much growth focused at Norwich, it is unclear how the
Plan meets its own objective of making provision for significant growth in in the Corridor.
For full representation, please refer to the attached documents.