GNLP0041

A good location for a development of a good size for a small village. Football club current location is inappropriate for numbers of fans.

There are many facts against, access Skinners Lane not suitable as well as danger in joining A1151. Closeness of railway line. Trees of great age some with TPOS, sewerage overload, medical centre, and schools oversubscribed. Site boarders Broads Authority executive area and is within the Wroxham conservation area.

The village does not require another speculative development of larger family detached dwellings. Wroxham is overwhelmingly chosen by its residents as a retirement village and has a population substantially older than most similar sized communities in the GNLP area. We have an urgent demand for retirement properties, bungalows and apartments in the village for existing residents to downsize into while they remain in the village. This would help free up sizeable properties in the heart of Wroxham currently occupied by one or two elderly people. This site would be ideal for this purpose.

Your sustainability appraisal discusses protecting historic areas of interest, landscape and biodiversity, particularly of the broads and yet you want to build a small housing development on the outskirts of a broads conservation area, with Palaeolithic and Neolithic evidence, but most certainly medieval remains, as well as a large and diverse wildlife. Please refer to the Wroxham Conservation Area Character Statement by Broadland District Council of 2010. I will happily provide you with a copy if you can't locate one.

The document refers to Skinners Lane as being softened by the trees and meadows on the east bank of the river. So important is the east bank to Broadland Council, that the owners of the field beside it housing 4 horses have been unable to erect a small shelter for the animals to protect them from the rain and the cold. Yet the GNLP proposal for 50 houses beside the east bank is deemed acceptable.

Skinners Lane is a single lane road which currently struggles to cater for the influx of traffic to and from the football ground on match days. To accommodate the 50 houses and their inevitable 2 cars per house, as well as the deliveries and requirements for emergency services to access the estate safely, the infrastructure would need to be improved via road widening which would significantly impact the east bank of the river, it's biodiversity and character.

Currently Castle Street, the entry point to Skinners Lane, already becomes backed up with traffic trying to exit the area, even with the small number of houses in existence.

Additionally, the bridge currently connecting this end of Wroxham with the main Wroxham Road is small and already congested. It regularly bottlenecks and creates long queues of traffic into Wroxham. Add the traffic from the new development and this will significantly increase traffic into and out of Wroxham via the bridge.

Should this proposal for 50 houses be deemed necessary, we would object to the use of Skinners Lane as a through road and instead counter propose that a new entry point to the development is connected to the Wroxham Road via the Salhouse side of the bridge.

- Skinners Lane is a narrow single track road with no formal passing places, so vehicle access to the new development would be severely constrained;
- There are no footpaths along Skinners Lane nor most of Castle Street, so no pedestrian access to the site;
- Castle Street junction with the main road is already a problem. Additional traffic would aggravate the situation and increase risk of accidents;
- The Skinners Lane sewer appears to be already overloaded, given last year's overflow and flooding;
- Unclear how these issues could be easily addressed, especially the widening of Skinners Lane. At its narrowest it is only 8 feet wide with a steep bank to the east and buildings to the west. The costs could be prohibitive and impact the financial viability of the development;
- Finally, Skinners Lane is currently a quiet rural lane in the Wroxham conservation area favoured by dog walkers. The proposed development would inevitably change the character of this part of the Wroxham conservation area.

Sport England would not object to the relocation of Wroxham Football Club, provided a suitable replacement facility was provided which satisfies exception E4 of Sport England's playing fields policy, and para 74 of the NPPF.

Norfolk County FA support this site on the basis of a relocation for Wroxham FC from Trafford Park to Muck Lane / Swash Lane (Rackheath) (GNLP1060).

1. The proposal is out of proportion to local infrastructure.
2. Skinners Lane is a narrow lane so that vehicle access will be overloaded particularly during construction.
3. No footpaths on Skinners Lane or Castle Street and the lane is banked so no safe pedestrian access.
4. Castle Street junction with Norwich Road is overloaded and doubling traffic will make it much worse.
5. Skinners Lane sewerage system is already overloaded
6. Cost of solutions would be disproportionate and nationally developers have a poor record of completion.
7. This is a conservation area and the development will erode its character.

From a County FA perspective we are fully supportive of the relocation of Wroxham Football Club to a new site, as identified within the GNGB Playing Pitch Strategy. Furthermore, dependent on the strength of the football development & broader health / community outcomes such a relocation project could deliver, we would be committed to working with Wroxham Football Club and relevant partners to unlock capital investment through the Football Foundation

Skinners Lane is a fairly unique road in the Broads. It is a single track road about 8 ft wide which is essentially a dead end elevated about 60 ft above The River Bure
The current football traffic is acceptable as it is only significant every other week (home games) during the winter season.
Skinners Lane is a single track road without a foot path and is only about 8ft wide. To accommodate a development of 20 houses the road would have to widenned to over 13 ft and a 3 ft wide footpath added. This would have to be on the river side as the other side already abuts the house
gardens. As that side is within the domain of The Broads Authority. They might object to change of view from this unique stretch of the river.
The widening would have to be completed before the housing *construction could commence.
Also there are significant restrictions to widening the road at the northern end where there are houses both sides of the road.
Castle Street leading to the Norwich Road is effectively a single track road with only a partial footpath. Probably no footpath could be added to the railway bridge.
The possible congestion problem at the junction to the Norwich Road have already been acknowledged.
It should also be noted that the existing sewer is inadequate and frequently blocks.

GNLP0041 - Wroxham Football Club 20 dwellings
Where would the current football club go? This might also visually impact on the Broads landscape and the existing Wroxham Conservation Area - early discussion about this would be welcomed. This site is also within the Wroxham Conservation Area.

* Salhouse
GNLP0157 - Tourism Use
This appears to be partly in the Broads area. Would welcome early discussions on this.
Likely to be too late to allocate anything in the Broads Local Plan. Other than Tourism
Use, no other details provided. What is this for? This is also partly within the Salhouse
Conservation Area.
* Acle
GNLP1049 - residential development
This is right up to the border with the Broads. Would welcome early discussions on
this. Would be extending the built up area in a way that could affect the Broads. Dark
skies. Could have significant visual impact.
GNLP0007 - 12 dwellings
This is near the border with the Broads. Would welcome early discussions on this.
Would be extending the built up area in a way that could affect the Broads. Dark skies.
Early discussions welcomed also on GNLP 0384.
* Postwick
GNLP0370 - 75 and 115 dwellings and primary school
This is right up to the border with the Broads. Would welcome early discussions on
this. Would be extending the built up area in a way that could affect the Broads. Dark
skies. Could have significant visual impact. Could have significant visual impact.
* Whittingham area
GNLP0360 - Deal Ground site - Residential led mixed use redevelopment to include
employment, retail community uses, potential primary education provision and local
greenspace and biodiversity areas.
This is right up to the border with the Broads and of a large scale. Would welcome
early discussions on this. Would be extending the built up area in a way that could
affect the Broads.
Redevelopment of site could give rise to new opportunities for pedestrian/cycleway
bridge over River Yare. The creation of this new connected access to Whitlingham and
the Broads National Park from the centre of Norwich would highlight the River
Wensum Strategy aspirations along with those of the Broads Local Access Forum.
Could have significant visual impact.
* Norwich
GNLP1011 - protect as sports centre in community use.
Support
GNLP0409 - Deallocation of Policy CC17b and the area of CC17a.
Please can you expand on what this means please? Why is this being de-allocated?
GNLP0068 - Residential-led mixed use development for an undetermined number of
dwellings (Despite its small size the site could support a high density development and
is thus considered suitable for the land availability assessment.)
This is right up to the border with the Broads and of a large scale. Would welcome
early discussions on this. Would be extending the built up area in a way that could
NB/SM/rpt/020318/Page 5 of 7/200218
affect the Broads.
There may be access issues if development was agreed at this location. The River
Wensum Strategy has identified this site as a potential continuation "link" of the
Riverside Walk and any development here would need to consider this in their
proposals. Could have significant visual impact. Issues around continued canalisation of
the river.
GNLP0401 - Residential-led mixed use development for approx. 400 dwellings with
retail and/or other appropriate city centre uses at ground floor level.
This is right up to the border with the Broads and of a large scale. Would welcome
early discussions on this. Would be extending the built up area in a way that could
affect the Broads.
Redevelopment of site could give rise to new opportunities for access to River
Wensum for small craft and canoes along with pedestrian access to the waterside.
Could have significant visual impact. Issues around continued canalisation of the river.
* Surlingham
GNLP0374 - Residential development
This is near the Broads border. Would welcome early discussions on this. Would be
extending the built up area in a way that could affect the Broads. Dark skies. Potential
for visual impact on the Broads landscape
* Rockland St Mary
GNLP0531 - 200 dwellings
This is right up to the border with the Broads and of a large scale. Would welcome
early discussions on this. Would be extending the built up area in a way that could
affect the Broads. Potential for significant visual impact on the Broads landscape.
* Cantley
GNLP0281 - Demolition of existing dwellings and residential redevelopment for approx.
20 homes with new entry road from Peregrine close
This is right up to the border with the Broads and of a large scale. Would welcome
early discussions on this. Would be extending the built up area in a way that could
affect the Broads. Potential amenity issues associated with Cantley Sugar Beet Factory
(business already in existence). Potential for high visual impact over open marsh
landscape.
* Haddiscoe
GNLP0455 - Employment, storage and distribution uses.
This is near our border. Would welcome early discussions on this. Would be extending
the built up area in a way that could affect the Broads. Dark skies. Potential for visual
impact on the Broads landscape. Also GNLP 0414 More limited potential for visual
impact but early discussions on this would also be welcomed.
* Gillingham
GNLP0274 - Residential development of an unspecified number.
This is near the Broads border. Would welcome early discussions on this. Would be
extending the built up area in a way that could affect the Broads. Dark skies. Potential
for visual impact on the Broads land scape.
* Geldeston
GNLP1004 - resi 4-5 dwellings
NB/SM/rpt/020318/Page 6 of 7/200218
This is near the Broads border. Would welcome early discussions on this. Would be
extending the built up area in a way that could affect the Broads. Dark skies. Darkest
area of the Broads. More limited potential for visual impact. Located within the
Geldeston Conservation area.
* Kirby Cane
GNLP0303 - 11 dwellings
GNLP0304 - 15 dwellings
GNLP0305 - 32 dwellings
This is near the Broads border. Would welcome early discussions on this. Would be
extending the built up area in a way that could affect the Broads. Dark skies.
* Chedgrave
GNLP0541 - 5-8 dwellings
This is right up to the border with the Broads and of a large scale. Would welcome
early discussions on this. Would be extending the built up area in a way that could
affect the Broads. Potential for visual impact on the Broads landscape.
* Loddon
GNLP0313 - 68 dwellings
This is near the Broads border. Would welcome early discussions on this. Would be
extending the built up area in a way that could affect the Broads. More limited
potential for visual impact.

Proposed Development of Wroxham Football Club, Skinners Lane, Wroxham
As a neighbouring resident I refer to the above proposal to erect 20 dwellings on the WFC present premises at Trafford Park, Wroxham. This, I feel, along with many residents of Skinners Lane, Castle Street and Church Lane, [would be] totally out of character for an otherwise quiet, peaceful retirement area.
Skinners Lane would provide site access, which is very popular with dog walkers and ramblers and the extra traffic would be a great danger to them. There is no footpath, turning area, or passing places, also no proper drainage system for surface rain water to run off.
Given that most modern houses have at least two cars, also delivery vans etc, this small lane would not cope with the extra traffic. It is an ever increasing problem for vehicles to gain access to the main A1151 road, and this would make the situation even more of a problem and intolerable.
With the ever increasing population it is vital that this sporting facility remains as it is for there is a great need for it.
In summary, please would you, as our local planning authority, give every consideration to these points I have raised when making your final decisions, as it is the only sports area in our village.