GNLP0463

I attended a meeting in Chedgrave today to examine the plans in more detail and to discuss matters arising.
Like many neighbours in Chedgrave we are all concerned and very disappointed at these proposals. For twenty years I have enjoyed a peaceful retirement in Snows Lane overlooking the countryside and the wildlife.
Now 20 new homes are proposed. I appreciate that whatever I say will not have any influence on your plans. There is even the possibility of widening Snows Lane which would be disastrous. Why spoil our life even more, why not have access directly onto Langley Road. When there is heavy rain water rushes down across the fields onto Snows Lane and fortunately this runs downhill to Langley Road. Serious consideration needs to be given to drainage and possible flooding.
I have been waiting one month for a doctor’s appointment and parking in Loddon is difficult. Schools are overcrowded.
How will traffic from the proposed development get to the A146 surely not down Big Back Lane or Rectory Road.
All very worrying for the residents of Chedgrave. Will I get compensation for the money I will lose should I decide to sell my bungalow it will surely be devalued. If Snows Lane was to be widened will the residents be compensated for all the building work etc.
As I said I feel my comments will not even be considered.

Building 20 houses on Snows Hill (***near where I live***) will produce potentially 40 more cars onto what is already a dangerous road to turn onto, especially in the morning with the school run, and in the evening on the return from work and the school run.
The Langley School buses are very challenging. They are a fleet of drivers who are often aggressive in their driving styles, and there are so many of them, twice a day, and it clogs the village roads.

The other concerns are exits from the village.

To access the A146 everyone from the new site will use Big Back Lane - it is already a busy road, it is single width, and is gradually being eroded by traffic already. There is wildlife along there (including a pair of peacocks who often walk along the road) that really don't stand a chance with the increased volume of 2 way traffic.

Exiting onto the Norwich is like taking your life in your own hands - despite there being a 40mph limit (it should be less - the signs for the junction are tiny and totally miss-able - and by and large - ignored) traffic races up the hill, round the bend and I have had 2 near misses, because although it was clear both ways when I pulled out, speeding drivers didn't see me....

And then there is the exit onto the A146 itself - it is SO dangerous to need to turn right - we have been promised a roundabout at George Lane, but that seems to have been postponed until ALL the houses on George Lane have been built, meaning it is more and more dangerous to come onto the A146. There is one needed at this end of Chedgrave too.

The turning at the Norwich Road is really difficult, and there have been fatalities there.

You can often wait 15 minutes to get to turn - add another 20-40 cars and it will be queuing back into Chedgrave itself. Plus the length of time it will take to complete your journey.

So, my main concerns (apart from losing the beautiful hillside which makes Chedgrave so wonderful to live in - and you cannot discount that!) are:

1. Extra traffic onto the Langley Road - already busy and difficult.....
2. The Langley School buses - is it possible they be diverted somewhere else, or asked to drive more considerately?
3. Loddon is a single carriageway in parts - how will it cope with parking and traffic? It is tricky enough now (and I haven't even mentioned the other site at the end of Loddon - how will the village cope with cars???)
4. Big Back Lane being overused and unable to cope with the volume of traffic (and snarling up the way it did recently after Anglian Water Roadworks in Langely Road closed off access to Rectory Lane too - it took over an hour to reach the A146 - exits out are limited by Langely Road) It is not wide enough, nor is it the right type of road to take the volume....
5. Rectory Lane (the alternative route onto the A146) is also single lane and narrow - and residential....
6. Norwich Road taking more traffic from Big Back Lane - already really dangerous
7. Ditto the A146 - we need a roundabout before someone else gets killed - how can more cars not make it even worse?
8. The pollution caused by queueing and idling cars waiting to exit onto A146 or in any of the tiny roads, waiting to pass.

The continued loss of the countryside is SO painful to me.

I understand the need for housing, but it is not good in such a small village with such restricted roads, which you cannot change....

I have no doubt that these plans will go sailing through, but when all the building is done, you leave behind a nasty mess for the residents to cope with, and you don't see the impact......

Please take these factors into account.
I would be grateful to hear how the infrastructure of our two villages is being addressed with the additional volume of people and cars with regard to the above concerns.

Re proposed development reference GNLP0463.

I attended an open meeting on the 17th February at the Brien Clark rooms at Chedgrave to see the proposed development plan for the Chedgrave and Loddon areas.
Living in Chedgrave my main concern was with the above plan.

I would object to this development for the following reasons.
1. We were told at the meeting that the first phase would only involve twenty houses although I have seen plans showing between seventy and eighty houses to be built in this development. With an avenge of two cars per household this would mean an additional 150 cars on our already overloaded local roads. There would be very little extra employment in Loddon so these vehicles would go to Norwich or Lowestoft. In either case more vehicles would go through Loddon, which is already very congested or through Big Back Lane which is only wide enough for one vehicle and then turn right onto the A146 which is already a very busy and dangerous junction.
2. I noticed from the plans that this development takes in the corner of Langley Road and Snows Lane. I have been informed that this corner was the burial ground for cattle killed by the outback of Foot & Mouth disease some years ago and to be was not to be built on!
3. Langley Road itself is always busy and services Langley School whose mini buses also create congestion and to have even more cars on this road would only make matters worse.
4. Our Schools are full, we have to wait two weeks for a doctor’s appointment and our dentist cannot take anymore NHS patients.
5. We all understand the need for more housing but these houses should not be built without an increase in the local facilities to cope with the extra local demands.


I trust the above will be considered if this development is taken to the next stage.

In the 2017 village survey residents commented consistently on the volume and speed of traffic on Langley Road, exacerbated by the number of vehicles taking pupils to and from Langley School. This needs to be taken into account when assessing the suitability of this site.

Building 20 houses on Snows Hill (***near where I live***) will produce potentially 40 more cars onto what is already a dangerous road to turn onto, especially in the morning with the school run, and in the evening on the return from work and the school run.
The Langley School buses are very challenging. They are a fleet of drivers who are often aggressive in their driving styles, and there are so many of them, twice a day, and it clogs the village roads.

The other concerns are exits from the village.

To access the A146 everyone from the new site will use Big Back Lane - it is already a busy road, it is single width, and is gradually being eroded by traffic already. There is wildlife along there (including a pair of peacocks who often walk along the road) that really don't stand a chance with the increased volume of 2 way traffic.

Exiting onto the Norwich is like taking your life in your own hands - despite there being a 40mph limit (it should be less - the signs for the junction are tiny and totally miss-able - and by and large - ignored) traffic races up the hill, round the bend and I have had 2 near misses, because although it was clear both ways when I pulled out, speeding drivers didn't see me....

And then there is the exit onto the A146 itself - it is SO dangerous to need to turn right - we have been promised a roundabout at George Lane, but that seems to have been postponed until ALL the houses on George Lane have been built, meaning it is more and more dangerous to come onto the A146. There is one needed at this end of Chedgrave too.

The turning at the Norwich Road is really difficult, and there have been fatalities there.

You can often wait 15 minutes to get to turn - add another 20-40 cars and it will be queuing back into Chedgrave itself. Plus the length of time it will take to complete your journey.

So, my main concerns (apart from losing the beautiful hillside which makes Chedgrave so wonderful to live in - and you cannot discount that!) are:

1. Extra traffic onto the Langley Road - already busy and difficult.....
2. The Langley School buses - is it possible they be diverted somewhere else, or asked to drive more considerately?
3. Loddon is a single carriageway in parts - how will it cope with parking and traffic? It is tricky enough now (and I haven't even mentioned the other site at the end of Loddon - how will the village cope with cars???)
4. Big Back Lane being overused and unable to cope with the volume of traffic (and snarling up the way it did recently after Anglian Water Roadworks in Langely Road closed off access to Rectory Lane too - it took over an hour to reach the A146 - exits out are limited by Langely Road) It is not wide enough, nor is it the right type of road to take the volume....
5. Rectory Lane (the alternative route onto the A146) is also single lane and narrow - and residential....
6. Norwich Road taking more traffic from Big Back Lane - already really dangerous
7. Ditto the A146 - we need a roundabout before someone else gets killed - how can more cars not make it even worse?
8. The pollution caused by queueing and idling cars waiting to exit onto A146 or in any of the tiny roads, waiting to pass.

The continued loss of the countryside is SO painful to me.

I understand the need for housing, but it is not good in such a small village with such restricted roads, which you cannot change....

I have no doubt that these plans will go sailing through, but when all the building is done, you leave behind a nasty mess for the residents to cope with, and you don't see the impact......

Please take these factors into account.
I would be grateful to hear how the infrastructure of our two villages is being addressed with the additional volume of people and cars with regard to the above concerns.

The development would mean the loss of a glorious view from our own home. The situation would be exacerbated by the site rising away from the village, giving extra elevation to any houses built there. In times past, the roof line of any new build has had to be in keeping with the rest of the village.
The development would be in contravention of our Parish Plan which calls for a small development of affordable homes only.
The site is close to Langley School which already creates traffic blockages in the early morning and afternoon. 400 day pupils are brought to and collected from the school, nearly half of them in cars, the rest in mini-buses, together with 78 non-residential teachers and 65 supporting staff.
The natural exit for traffic from the site to the A146 would be via Big Back Lane, a single track road with a dangerous junction where it joins Norwich Road. Thereafter, joining the A146 is hazardous. This situation is not assisted by there being few opportunities to work locally.
The local schools, dentists, and the medical centre are already all full.
Part of the site was previously used as a burial ground for animal carcasses resulting from the foot and mouth outbreak in the 1960's.
The development will have an adverse effect on our environment. The site forms an attractive backcloth to our village, and the existing villagers don't want to lose it.

The road network in this part of Chedgrave is only just coping at the present time. During term time, Langley Road is almost a no-go area because of parents taking children to Langley School. If this proposal goes ahead some very careful thought will need to be put into roads.....possibly a one-way system in/out using Big Back Lane and Rectory Lane, and a definite total ban on roadside parking at the Rectory Lane/Langley Road junction. There HAVE to be other sites within the GNLP area which are more suitable.

I have serious objections to this plan.
Firstly the surrounding roads are not suitable to take the volume of traffic which would be created by these homes.
Both Langley Road and Snows Lane (in particular) are narrow and very busy in the morning and evening rush hour.
Our property would be overlooked by these homes and it would spoil the surrounding countryside. Our doctors, dentists and schools would not have the capacity to take any more people into the system. It begins with 20 homes and before long more will be built!

1st. Why cannot the proposed houses be built along Langley Road, not over looking or effecting already established bungalows.
2nd. Will the dwellings be area appropriate I.e. single storey.
3rd. The level of the land is several metres higher than Snows Lane, will this be reduced to the same level?
4th. In heavy rain the water flows steadily down Snows Lane bringing mud and debris from fields higher up the lane causing flooding at the bottom. Extra drainage would be necessary.
5th. Extra places at doctors, schools dentists etc would be paramount.
WILL ANYBODY LISTEN TO OUR OPINIONS ANYWAY?

Following the new developments in Loddon, our roads get very congested at certain times of the day. In Chedgrave there are issues with the traffic in Rectory Lane and Big Back Lane due to traffic going to and from Langley School. The most severe problem, in our opinion, is accessing the A146, especially during peak times.

We appreciate that Langley School provides employment to many in the community and also supports the local economy. Perhaps a speed limit extending from Langley gates would be a good safety measure, with a speed camera. Rectory Lane and Big Back Lane could have one way systems. Going into Chedgrave via Big Back Lane from the Norwich Road and leaving Chedgrave onto the Norwich Road along Rectory Lane, both with 20 MPH speed limits; two-way traffic on these lanes is problematic. Introduction of these measures should not be too expensive.

Our most significant concern is accessing the A146, particularly when driving towards Norwich. At peak times the cars, minibuses and buses can be queuing at the junction. This junction has been the site of several serious accidents, at least one resulting in a fatality. The Norwich Road at the junction needs widening to accommodate two lanes of traffic, as drivers trying to turn left are unable to when blocked by drivers waiting to cross over to head for Norwich. Having looked at the lay of the land on this particular junction, we feel it would be ideal to have a flyover! Probably not a cheap option! Currently, many people anxious about crossing the A146 will head along the back road (Langley Road) through Langley, Claxton, Rockland St Mary etc. into Norwich, making that road also very busy. Many Langley minibuses choose this route. Indeed, few people would want to drive a minibus full of children across the A146 at 5 pm.

Flooding has always been an issue on the Langley Road. Development on a field destroys the natural drainage of surface water. Introducing a human-made drainage system directs the water to an area that is already at or approaching full capacity. We understand that the only way to alleviate this problem would be to install a larger capacity pipe from Langley Road to the river, this though could cause problems at Loddon Staithe & would need careful investigation & research prior to installation.

We are unsure whether the local schools, Doctors and Dentist would cope with an increased population in Loddon and Chedgrave. Have there been discussions, and what were the findings?

We have been very fortunate to have spent the last thirty-plus years living in the house on XXXX, Chedgrave. We have enjoyed the fantastic views across the fields to Langley, but of course, one cannot buy a view! We overlook the high bank (2.5 m -3 m), which appears to be part of the area proposed for new housing. Unless this bank and field area (the mound) are reduced considerably, we shall be overlooking any dwelling there, and they would be looking directly into our bedrooms and the bungalows in the Lane. We fully realise that new houses are needed, but sites should be chosen, or adapted in such a way that they do not encroach on people’s privacy. Will that bank and land be reduced considerably?

In the Greater Norwich Local Plan Notes for GNLP0463, it states that “If access is to be via Snows Lane, then it will need to be widened and a footway provided.” How is this widening going to be achieved? Will the Landowners land be used? Or would the land be taken from the front gardens of the residents?
The plan is for around 20 houses now, but it is clear that if this development goes ahead, many more homes will be built on this site in the future.
Before undertaking any new housing development/s, it is crucial to make improvements to existing infrastructure and local amenities to meet the needs of residents, whose numbers have increased over recent years.

This part of Chedgrave is bungalows both sides of Langley Road. Therefore this site should also consist of only bungalows.
Access to the site should be on to Langley Road, as Snows Lane is considerably lower than the field height.
Any building work using access from Snows Lane will cause considerable inconvenience to residents on that road, and entry into Hillcrest.
Why is the field at back of Beauchamp and Proctor Roads not being used for housing as there are already openings on to that field from both those roads?

I object to any further housing in Chedgrave until something is done to alleviate the problems caused on nearby Rectory Road and Big Back Lane by the morning & evening Langley School traffic. A recent temporary road closure of Langley Road by Anglian Water proved how fragile the existing road links are. The closure caused mayhem and all nearby villages (Chedgrave, Hardley & Langley) were isolated from nearby Loddon, with children late for school/nursery, doctors appointments missed and emergency access in/out restricted until the point load of Langley School traffic had died down.
.

1) Congestion of traffic in Loddon/Chedgrave including exits to A146.
2) Site includes a burial site for foot & mouth carcasses.
3) The proposed site will take the build line above that of the existing settlement boundaries.
4) The local services - medical, dental and scholastic are already full.
5) Extra adverse effect on the already polluted air.

1. We are not Greater Norwich, we are South Norfolk.
2. No demand for extra housing in our villages.
3. Schools, health centre/dentists already over subscribed.
4.It will increase traffic congestion through and around the village, access to the A146 is
already difficult and dangerous, George Lane roundabout would not help Chedgrave residents as it is already difficult getting to appointments at number 3.
The road through Chedgrave/Loddon can hardly cope at the moment being a bus
route and as most appointments need George Lane, Bridge Street would become even more of a bottle neck than it is now.

The objection is as follows:-
Why build at the furthest point from the village facilities, particularly the schools, shops, & medical centre when the biggest concern environmentally is traffic? This development will encourage more traffic in an already over used road system which was built originally for light vehicular traffic. Todays population seem not to use their legs and therefore as most homes today have at least 2 vehicles this will create further pollution and danger on the roads of this already over populated village. Speeding traffic heading to Langley School is not only a danger but a severe pollutant. No more is needed.

I would like to object to the proposed development of new homes in this location. Proposed development has to be considered carefully as estate development would overwhelm our village.
There are several serious points that need to be considered.
As others have commented an increase in new homes means added vehicles. This new development could increase car numbers by 150. The local roads are already very busy especially in the morning and afternoons with the Langley School traffic. The entrance to the school is close to the proposed entrance to the new development. There are 650 students at the school and with staff members totalling almost 200, any extra vehicles on the Langley Road could cause a highway safety situation.

The increase in both noise and pollution disturbance is also very worrying. Big Back Lane is a small narrow lane which just could not cope with too much extra traffic. There have been situations where due to accidents on the A146 diverted traffic has had to use Big Back Lane, where due to minimal passing places, long queues have formed. The increase in traffic so close to my property would be dangerous as we have no pathway to use for access onto Langley Road. Several of the residents currently walk into Chedgrave/Loddon. This situation could also devalue my property.

The extra demands on our doctors, dentist, schools, and car parking is also a major factor. All are already incredibly busy and an increased population without careful planning in these areas would just make life incredibly difficult.

The views from my property would also cause great concern for me. Currently I enjoy woodland and rural views which played a big part in me choosing this area, these would be partly replaced with rooftops and buildings.

Please take these comments into consideration.

Unlike other allocation policies there is no reference to water efficiency forming part of the design

Please also see comments relating to Policy 2 of the Sustainable Communities of the Strategy document.

I am writing to formally register objections to proposed development of the site reference GNLP0463 in the Loddon & Chedgrave area, and to its allocation within the Draft Plan. The reasons for the objection may be summarised as follows:

Non-Suitability of Site – GNLP0463

The elevation of this site, and its prominent position in a rural location on the outskirts of the low-lying, modest-sized village of Chedgrave as one enters an area of the countryside bounded by woodland, means that any development there, whatever the design, would be an incongruous eyesore, unduly prominent in the nearby street scene which comprises pre-dominantly bungalows and chalets, which are a defining characteristic of the local area. Any development would also impact adversely on the existing properties (see below).

Even the consultation documents seem to suggest that this site is not at all suitable. The site appears to have been chosen as one of two that are “preferred” within Loddon & Chedgrave partly, at least, on the basis being the one of the least unsuitable within the village, which hardly makes it a sensible choice, especially given the stated reservations about the site in the form of caveats and the requirement for significant, additional infrastructure to accommodate its development:

“GNLP0463: Although this site is elevated and would be quite prominent it is preferred for allocation subject to a good layout to work with its setting in the landscape. A design brief would be needed. It is not considered appropriate for the 70 homes originally suggested. The allocation is subject to visibility improvements and frontage development at Langley Road to the north. A 2m footway will be required at the site frontage to link with existing facilities. If access is to be via Snows Lane then it will need to be widened and a footway provided.”

And despite some revisions, including the allocation of “at least 20 homes”, the consultation states that “more homes may be accommodated, subject to an acceptable design and layout being achieved and any infrastructure issues addressed.” In other words, the site, if approved, is likely to subsequently be further developed, for perhaps 70 homes, despite the obvious unsuitability for any such development.

Perhaps more significantly, the reason(s) for dismissing at least one of the alternative locations for ‘Loddon & Chedgrave’ no longer apply. Specifically, site reference GNLP1014 would be a much more suitable site, as explained in this document.

Impact of Any Development of Site – GNLP0463

Any development on this particular site would unduly impact on the neighbouring properties and the local area:

• Increase in Traffic – the historical classification of Langley Road (linking Loddon & Chedgrave with Langley, Surlingham and surrounding villages) as a ‘residential road’ (rather than a ‘designated traffic route’) fails to take into account the large volume of traffic which passes along it on a daily basis, not least due to the twice-daily fleet of minibuses, parents, and students travelling to and from Langley School (one of the largest private schools in Norfolk), together with large goods vehicles serving e.g. Langley School and the various agricultural business i.e. animal feed, transportation of crops and live animals, and so on. This is already a very busy road and any further development at this location would significantly increase the volume of through traffic in Chedgrave on roads which are unsuitable even for the existing volumes. As such, further development would endanger higher safety, and prejudice the flow of traffic on the existing road network.
• Encroachment on Open Countryside – the location is part of a continuous area of rural land stretching from Chedgrave to the Norfolk Broads National Park, and a popular route for walkers and cyclists alike, the latter using part of the National Cycle Network (Route 1).
• Negative Impact on Biodiversity – this site is an important habitat for wildlife. Various species are regularly seen (e.g. birds, including kestrel, buzzard, barn owl, marsh harrier, and various farmland birds, and at least one species of bats). The absence of a built environment on this site means that many of those species of birds can easily be observed from, and within, those properties that currently exist.
• Residential Amenity – any development of this site, whatever the design, would have an adverse impact on the daylight and outlook enjoyed by the existing properties, particularly those that are adjacent to this site, together with those that enjoy unrestricted views of skies over hedgerows and farmland and which have done so for over fifty years.
• Damaging Impact on Privacy – given the elevation of the site, any development on it, whatever the form or height, and even anyone walking within the site, would be able to see directly into the gardens (and, perhaps, habitable rooms) of other properties, even with fencing, removing the privacy of nearby dwellings enjoyed by some for over fifty years.
Overall, any development of this site would have a significant adverse impact on nearby residents, through damage to the setting of the existing buildings, and damaging impacts on the amenity and privacy of nearby dwellings.

Suitability of Alternative Site – GNLP1014

According to the consultation document(s), site reference GNLP1014 was deemed unsuitable:

“This site is not considered to be suitable for allocation as it does not relate well to the form of the settlement and would appear as a separate enclave of development.”

And yet, there are a number of decided (and withdrawn) planning applications to South Norfolk District Council that have rendered that assessment inaccurate. Examples include:

• 2020/2405
• 2019/0027
• 2018/1792
• 2016/2535
• 2019/1163
The sequential approval of some 11 dwellings (one of which is already occupied) means that GNLP1014 is now well-suited to development for precisely the opposite reasons to those used to explain why it was, initially, deemed unsuitable i.e. it does relate well to the existing settlement and would not appear as a separate enclave.

Moreover, one wonders how long it will be before land to the west (i.e. beyond Chedgrave Manor, Woodview, Hill Crest) is developed for those same reasons. This would seem the most logical area for any further development, with easy transport links to the A146 without increasing the amount of through traffic within the main residential part of Chedgrave. This is similar perhaps to the manner in which the development of St. Georges Park, in George Lane, Loddon almost inevitably followed not long after the construction of Chet Valley Medical Practice.

For the avoidance of doubt, I object to the allocation of site GNLP0463 within the Draft Plan. I would however support an alternative site – GNLP1014 – as the ‘preferred’ site.

On behalf of ESCO Developments and M, A & D Hutton
Please find attached comments and documents. We would like to write in support of the allocation of the site. Attached are the following:
• Representations
• Site plan
• Ecology appraisal
• Landscape appraisal
• Delivery/Viability statement
• Utilities supplementary Information

For full representation, please refer to attached documents