GNLP0382

Representing Norfolk County Council (as landowner):

Norfolk County Council own the land and is committed to bringing this site forward for a high quality well designed development to deliver the housing growth required in South Walsham.

Since the initial call for sites in 2016, work has been ongoing to confirm the suitability of the site for residential development and to demonstrate the site can deliver a sustainable, policy compliant housing scheme.

Land Use

A County Farms tenant currently farms the site. This land is let under a Business Farm Tenancy. Following the grant of planning permission, the land would be available for the County Council to take back to enable development to come forward.

In view of the size of site, it is anticipated that the site would be developed in a two year period.

Site Characteristics

The site slopes gently from north to south but the topography would not offer any significant constraint to development.

The site is open to the west. There is limited boundary planting and fencing on the eastern boundary of the site. To the south, there is limited boundary planting close to Chamery Lane. Land to the north is allocated for housing (SWA1).

The current lawful use is agricultural. There is no evidence of any unstable ground and previous uses suggest no risk of contamination.

The site falls within flood zone 1 as defined by the Environment Agency. Furthermore, their mapping identifies no risk of flooding from surface water. The site has been part of the County Farms Estate for many years and in this time, there has been no evidence of flooding.

The adjacent uses to the site are residential. There would be no conflict between the proposed housing development and adjacent residential occupiers, subject to normal design and layout considerations.

Site Access

The site is currently in an agricultural use and access to the larger field exists from the south (Chamery Lane).

Work has been on-going to identify the most suitable means of access to the preferred allocation. The vehicular access to the site will be from the north (through the site allocated as SWA1), using a road designed to meet NCC estate road standards, with suitable visibility splays onto Burlingham Road.

This will accord with the expectation for this preferred allocation and offer good access for cyclist and pedestrians into the centre of the village. No vehicular access is proposed from Chamery Hall Lane.

As part of the outline planning permission granted on the site of allocation SWA1, footway improvement works are required (close to the junction of Burlingham Road and Panxworth Road / High Street - adjacent to the former Kings Head Public House). This improvement is likely to limit the extent of additional improvement works required to create the safe pedestrian route to School Road.

Site Services

Infrastructure and services exist on Burlingham Road, including main sewers, water supply and electricity. As part of the allocation, policy SWA1, electricity, main sewers and water will be extended into the site and the development of the SWA1 allocation will ensure that capacity is included to accommodate this preferred site allocation.

Infrastructure costs are not likely to be abnormal for a greenfield site.

Site capacity

Based on site size, its edge of village location and character of surrounding development site, affordable housing would be provided to be policy compliant. New planting would be needed on the boundary to the west. An area of open space would be included within the scheme to serve the development. Attached is an initial layout plan that shows a manner in which the site could be developed.

Viability and Delivery

Delivery of a further small-scale estate scale of residential development would help support local services and facilities.

The site will be developed following the completion of development of allocation SWA1. It is anticipate that this will commence in next 5 years.

The greenfield nature of the site and the availability of services (to be provided through allocation SWA1) raises no abnormal infrastructure or servicing costs to prevent the timely development of this site.

As a result, at this stage, there is no reason to suggest any obstacle to the delivery of 33% affordable housing (policy compliant on the site).

The extent and nature of additional footway / pedestrian improvements to link the site to the School appear modest (especially when part of this will be delivered though the development of allocation SWA1), so this policy requirement is not considered to raise any constraint to the early delivery of this new allocation.

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.