GNLP0350

This make much more sense to develop on the edge of the village with easy access to a140

Yet another good site for development. Reason. Easy access to the bypass A140 shouldn't cause any problems
For the village centre.

This site avoids the problem almost all the other sites would inflict on the village - an exacerbation of the already serious traffic problems. It has access to the village centre and the school.

Outside the village envelope to develop

One of the 2 best sites in the village. Direct access to good road The Street and quick access to A140 via roundabout.

This is one of six sites that improves the village and has the safest traffic routes to the A140 trunk road. This site would limit pressures on Rectory Road and Harvey Lane due to school drop off/pick up trips. Any property's built on this site must have enough parking for the number of bedrooms in the property and roads must be wide enough for two vans to pass. Each site should include play areas in the planning applications and if necessary an on site parking area with a direct access to the street.

If there has to be development in the village then this seems like a better site. It has good access to the main road and less impact on the village centre.

If Housing development targets cannot be provided elsewhere in South Norfolk by way of new villages, then I favour a site off the Ipswitch Road-GNLP0361 and GNLP0498 for development

I would support this proposal as it will have less traffic impact on the village and is located close to the southern access point to the A140. It seems a very suitable site for development.

If it is necessary to further develop the village, this site seems a sensible option as it permits easy access to the A140 during the construction phase and subsequently for new residents, whilst allowing pedestrian access to village amenities.

This is a poor site an open field with a path regularly used by the villagers and would spoil the look of the village.

This site offers easy access to the A140 without the need to go through the village. Pedestrian access to the village is already facilitated by the presence of a footway.

This is one of the most suitable sites for development, combining excellent access to the A140 and proximity to the village centre. It is also in an ideal location for a new school to replace the existing one which has reached full capacity. Parents' parking could be easily provided and there is a pavement from the village. There is no risk of flooding.

Development at this end of the village has the potential for traffic to be routed out via the A140 and an existing roundabout. It is of relatively modest size with a specified number of houses.

This site will give easy access to the A140 without traffic having to pass through the middle of the village. Dickleburgh has a very narrow road between Rectory Road and the junction with Harvey Lane/Burston Road. The less traffic along it the better.

This site is ideally located but also is of a size that restricts the amount of dwellings, which I believe is important

This site provides the best access for traffic coming to or leaving the village. New houses here would not need access through the village.

This is of of the most suitable sites for development, combining excellent access to the A140 and proximity to the centre of the village. It is also in an ideal location for a new school to replace the existing one which has reached full capacity. Parents' parking could be easily provided and there is pedestrian access from the village. There is no risk of flooding.

The Parish Council believes that, in terms of location and scale of development, this is the most sensible option available.

Our general policy statement:

THE GNLP AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN OUR VILLAGES: A POLICY STATEMENT BY DICKLEBURGH AND RUSHALL PARISH COUNCIL

As a community, Dickleburgh and Rushall are committed to playing their part in the GNLP's plan for future housing. We believe some new housing, particularly that which is affordable, is important for the future health and prosperity of our village.
At the same time, it is essential that this growth is sustainable, proportionate and sited so that it does not place an intolerable strain on the infrastructure and character of our villages.
After careful discussion of the development options, two public meetings with residents and an opinion poll within Dickleburgh, the Parish Council has reached the following conclusions concerning future housing development:

1. The response to the call for sites has so far produced 13 proposals around the village of Dickleburgh.

2. Currently, the most urgent problem facing Dickleburgh concerns roads. Each of the three road in the centre of the village is already experiencing major traffic problems. It is essential, for reasons of safety to residents and drivers, that these are not exacerbated.
The Street is an extremely narrow road which, in spite of 20mph speed limit (widely ignored by drivers) struggles to cope with traffic, in particular heavy goods vehicles going to and from the Smurfit Kappa depot in Rushall.
Rectory Road, with houses on each side, parked cars and no pedestrian crossing has become very dangerous to pedestrians. Again, lorries from Smurfit Kappa are the main problem.
Harvey Lane, a narrow road on which the school, playground and village centre are situated, has had widely-publicised problems of congestion which will be worsened by a development of 22 houses, currently under construction.

3. The Parish Council is determined that what is already a bad and dangerous traffic situation in Dickleburgh must not be made worse by any new housing development. For this reason, we believe that any future development should take place to the south of the village off the Ipswich Road (GNLP0350 and GNLP0498; if there are problems with those sites, we favour GNLP0498).

4. New houses on that side of the village would provide residents with safe and easy pedestrian access to the village services, without adding to Dickleburgh's traffic problems.

5. We strongly oppose any potential sites that will add to the traffic on the three roads mentioned above. Our opposition includes sites on the Norwich Road to the north of the village. Local experience has shown that drivers will avoid the difficult junction on to the A140 to the north of the village, preferring to use the roundabout to the south. In other words, any Norwich Road development would add to pressure on The Street.

6. A survey for our proposed Neighbourhood Plan revealed, in addition, that residents on the Rectory Road greatly value the prospect from the village of Dickleburgh Moor, which is being developed as a wildlife site. In other words, development off the Ipswich Road has the added advantage of causing least harm to amenities enjoyed by current residents.

7. Dickleburgh Primary School, of which we are very proud, is now reaching capacity and will have no further potential for expansion.

8. We are also concerned that the village sewage system has limited capacity. There is a risk of flooding to the north of the village.

9. As a more general point, we believe that excessive loading of new houses on to rural villages would be environmentally irresponsible, increasing dependence on cars to drive to work, shop and deliver children to school.

CONCLUSION
The Parish Council believes that any future plans for housing must be in proportion to our current population and should not place an intolerable strain on village infrastructure.
Sensible, proportionate development to the south of Dickleburgh will retain the integrity and vitality of our village, while making a positive contribution to the county's housing needs.

Proposed sites GNLP0350 and GNLP0498 are ideal areas for the future development of Dickleburgh. They provide easy access to the A140 and the village centre without the need for road modification. Being situated on the edge of the village would reduce the traffic burden through the centre, whilst still being within walking distance of local amenities. It has been stated previously that Dickleburgh should not become a ribbon development, however, aesthetics should not be put before road safety, pollution, and common sense with regards to existing infrastructure.

This is one of the better sites proposed. It is of a sensible scale and is central to the village without greatly increasing through traffic in the actual centre. It avoids adding extra strain on pressure points like Harvey Lane and Rectory Road. Traffic can exit the village onto the A140 without going through the middle of Dickleburgh.

Any development here would have minimum impact on the village conservation area and already has supporting infrastructure in place.

The roundabout on the A140 at this end of the village allows easy access to the A140 in both directions and there is a wide pavement on this side of Ipswich Road allowing easy and safe pedestrian access to the main village facilities: shop, school, pub, village centre etc

Most suitable site, with easy access to the 140

GNLP0350
GNLP0498
GNLP0498
These three sites are only viable places for any new housing (in Dickleburgh)
Traffic from this area would not need to go through the village to get to the main A140.
Any other sites would cause havoc with traffic plus sewer problems and flooding.

The choice of sites in Dickleburgh must surely be clearly obvious! The villagers are saying yes, homes need to be built, but where it is safe and appropriate to do so. The parish council and villagers have clearly indicated these sites. GNLP0350, GNLP0361 and GNLP0498 all offer safe and easy access for pedestrians to the village, clear and easy access to the main A140 with little disruption during building works. It cannot be more obvious!

With regards to utterly inappropriate sites, such as the site on Harvey Lane being developed as we speak, it is causing chaos and distress on a huge level. Sites
GNLP0063 and GNLP0389 would be a disaster for the village. These single track roads are used by a huge number of people as recreational areas for walking, cycling, horse riding and a circular route round the village. There are children, dogs, disabled people on these narrow lanes all the time. It's only a matter of time before the unthinkable would happen.

Harvey Lane, Rectory Road - no-one wants it. These sites are not safe, not wanted and certainly not appropriate. I sincerely hope sense prevails on these matters!

Our client is pleased that the site has been considered, and identified as suitable within the HELAA. We have reviewed the assessment of the site provided within the Site Proposals Document and HELAA, and make the following comments in relation to the site's delivery. [comments regarding NPPF and its consultation, Housing White Paper and NPPG]
Below, the site is considered against the tests within the NPPG2, confirming that the site is suitable, available and achievable for development purposes:
Suitable
Development in rural areas is considered vital to the long term sustainability of rural communities.
Encouraging growth in sustainable settlements within rural areas is considered to be in accordance with Paragraph 55 of The Framework, which also notes that residential development in such settlements can make a significant contribution to the maintenance and continuing provision of local services and facilities for community use (Section 3: Supporting a Prosperous Rural Economy).
The site is considered to be a suitable location for residential development. Dickleburgh is identified as a 'Service Village' within the adopted Joint Core Strategy (2011), recognising the level of services, facilities and infrastructure available there within. These include a public house, village store and a primary school which are within walking distance of the site. The village also benefits from regular bus services to the market town of Diss where a plethora of services and facilities are available.
There are no known physical limitations or constraints on the site which would make development of the site difficult or unacceptable. The site is not located within protected areas such as Greenbelt, AONB or Flood Zones 2 and 3. The site is not subject to any PROW which may be affected by development of the site.
The site benefits from good access to Ipswich Road. Ipswich Road is the main road running through Dickleburgh and appears to have sufficient capacity at this point to accommodate development of the site. A footpath runs along the length of the site. It is anticipated that an access with sufficient visibility could be installed as part of any development.
The site is immediately adjacent to Dickleburgh's settlement boundary. The main body of Dickleburgh is located directly to the north of the site whilst there is some sporadic housing to the south. Visually the site would appear as infill being flanked by residential development to the north and south. Development of the site would not appear out of character with the existing built form, providing a natural extension to this part of the settlement.
The site is neatly bounded by extensive trees and hedging along its northern and southern boundaries. The site is open to the east, and whilst having some intrinsic value, it is considered that it does not make a significant contribution to the wider landscape character.
The site can therefore present a suitable location for the managed growth of Dickleburgh, particularly given its relationship with the existing village. It is of an appropriate scale in relation to the form of the village, and as such, this site presents an opportunity to create an attractive and sympathetic development within a sustainable settlement.

Available
The site is considered available for development being within the control of a single owner. Should the site be accepted by the Council as a location for housing development, Savills would be able to act on our client's behalf to take the site forward with a view to identifying a suitable development partner as soon as possible.
Achievable
As noted above, there are no known technical constraints relating to the site and therefore it is considered its development would be economically viable.
Services including electricity, mains water, foul sewerage and telecommunications are easily connectable and readily available.
There are no other factors that mean development of the site would be difficult or unacceptable.Therefore, it is clear that the site presents a deliverable option for housing in Dickleburgh and would make a material contribution to the housing targets of the District.
Site Proposals Document Assessment
The site proposal document identifies Land to the west of Ipswich Road, Dickleburgh as GNLP0350, and in respect of its deliverability no obvious constraints are identified.

HELAA Assessment
A HELAA was undertaken in December 2017 and forms part of the evidence base for the site proposals document [several images of HELAA tables]. Our clients comments on the HELAA are as follows:

Accessibility comment: As stated previously, the site benefits from good access to Ipswich Road. Ipswich Road is the main road running through Dickleburgh and is of sufficient capacity at this point to accommodate development of the site. A footpath runs along the length of the site. An access with sufficient visibility could be installed as part of any development.
The NPPF makes it clear that development should only be prevented on highways grounds where it can be demonstrated that the residual cumulative impacts of development would be severe . A Transport Assessment would be produced, if required, by a qualified Highways Engineer prior to submission of any planning application. However, it is not anticipated at this stage that highway impacts relating to the development of the site would be severe.

Townscape comment: As stated previously, the site is immediately adjacent to Dickleburgh's settlement boundary. The main body of Dickleburgh is located directly to the north of the site whilst there is some sporadic housing to the south. Visually the site would appear as infill. Development of the site would not appear out of character with the existing built form, providing a natural extension to this part of the settlement.

Historic environment comment: In relation to the historic environment, this is addressed within Chapter 12 of the Framework. Paragraph 132 notes:
"When considering the impact of a proposed development on the significance of a designated heritage asset, great weight should be given to the asset's conservation. The more important the asset, the greater the weight should be. Significance can be harmed or lost through alteration or destruction of the heritage asset or development within its setting. As heritage assets are irreplaceable, any harm or loss should require clear and convincing justification."
Paragraphs 134 set out what the considerations should be when determining an application which impacts designated heritage assets. It states:
"134. Where a development proposal will lead to less than substantial harm to the significance of a designated heritage asset, this harm should be weighed against the public benefits of the proposal, including securing its optimum viable use."
The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 in Section 66 adds that:
"In considering whether to grant planning permission for development which affects a listed building or its setting, the local planning authority, or, as the case may be, the Secretary of State shall have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses."
Section 72 adds that it is a duty, with respect to any buildings or land in a conservation area, to pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of that area.
It is not considered that the proposal would have a detrimental impact or result in any harm to the setting of any listed buildings or the Dickleburgh conservation area. In addition, when considering the impact on heritage assets, it is considered that the public benefits associated with the development of this site would weigh strongly in favour of its development..
Work and employment would be created for both individuals and businesses involved in the construction elements of the development and sourcing of materials. It is also considered that any construction workers and local trades will make use of local services and facilities during the construction period. In the long-term it is likely trades people will be required to help maintain any properties. Additionally, it is considered that the occupiers of any development would make use of local services and facilities ensuring their vitality, viability and longevity thus contributing to the local economy.
A heritage impact assessment would be produced, if required, prior to submission of any planning application should the site be allocated. Furthermore, appropriate archaeological surveys could be conditioned should planning be pursued on the site.

Conclusion
It is considered that the land to the west of Ipswich Road, Dickleburgh (GNLP 0350) is sustainable and deliverable as defined by the NPPF, and a suitable location for residential development. The site, within the ownership of Sir Rupert Mann Bt, represents an attractive option for housing growth within the District.
Should the site be accepted as an allocation within the Local Plan, Savills would be able to act on our client's behalf to take the site forward with a view to identifying a suitable development partner as soon as possible.

SEE ATTACHED LETTER FOR FULL REPRESENTATION