GNLP0220

GNLP0220 - Land owned by SNC as you will see from our email submission of 8/3/18, we are keen this site is developed for social housing and we have entered into a discussion with Sam Watts of Saffron Housing Association as to how this might be possible.

This site was put forward by SNC. It is adjacent to the Millfields, a small scale development of bungalows for the independent elderly. The site was originally intended for use as an extension to Millfields and was referred to as Millfields Phase 2 on plans submitted at the time. The parish councillors expressed regret that this fact appears to have been overlooked by SNC. The parish council unanimously decided that it is not a suitable site for residential development other than for an extension of Millfields. A number of reasons were given, including:
* Access to the site is via a small residential road through Millfields and given the elderly nature of resident this is clearly not a desirable route for extra vehicle movement.
* There was a more pressing need for the provision of additional one-bedroom accommodation for the elderly than for additional 3 to 4 bedroom houses - there are currently a number of these for sale in the village.
* A moderately sized residential development adjacent to elderly accommodation is not a good mix

We understand that SNC is unaware of the original intention for this site which purpose we would support as the number of elderly people in the village is increasing.

Mrs Thomas supported the use of this site for an extension of care for the elderly.

[Representations made 24/11/16, in response to sites initially promoted through the Call for Sites in 2016 - these are treated as an additional submission made by the Parish Council through the current consultation as they are attached to the March 2017 submission in respect of the sites proposed at a later stage, viz GNLP1015. 1016, 1017 and 1018]

Hempnall parish council considered the following sites at its meeting on 15 November 2016. We appreciate that consolation is at an early stage but our District Council, Mrs Alison Thomas, impressed upon us the importance of an early response.

GNLP0147 - Land Around Alburgh, Road and Silver Green, Sycamore Farm, 17 Alburgh Road, Hempnall Green - Mixed use development, led by residential development of an unspecified number, with potential for light industrial or small office units.

This would be a large scale development and even at this early stage it has provoked large scale local opposition and many objectors attended our recent parish council meeting.

They identified the following reasons why this was not a suitable area for development:

* general lack of infrastructure for the existing dwellings, let alone further development
* foul sewage - not on mains
* persistent problem in this area with sewage systems which has led to previous planning applications being refused. Problems included:

o a high water table
o ditch clearances needed at least annually
o surface water drainage inadequate

* SNC records will show 12 to 14 yrs ago pipe improvements were made on this on this land area to ease the problem but it did not fully resolve it
* Three Horseshoes PH flooded 3 times in last 5 years
* rural nature of area would be spoilt
* internet service poor
* low mains water pressure already inadequate to service existing homes
* roads not suitable for level of predicted traffic
* poor access points off Alburgh Rd
* impact on Hempnall School spaces
* impact on already over-subscribed doctor's surgeries
* impact on wild life - owls, bats, hedgehogs and newts
* the plan of the site is inaccurate as it included half of a parishioner's garden that has not been put forward by the owner
* outside current development area

The parish council voted unanimously to oppose development on this site for the reasons given above and because it contravened the parish council's planning policies which aim to restrict development to within current development boundaries and which discourage large scale developments of this nature. Mrs Thomas agreed to make representations on behalf of the parishioners and the parish council in opposition to this site.


GNLP0220 - Land at Millfields for 15 dwellings
This site was put forward by SNC. It is adjacent to the Millfields, a small scale development of bungalows for the independent elderly. The site was originally intended for use as an extension to Millfields and was referred to as Millfields Phase 2 on plans submitted at the time. The parish councillors expressed regret that this fact appears to have been overlooked by SNC. The parish council unanimously decided that it is not a suitable site for residential development other than for an extension of Millfields. A number of reasons were given, including:
* Access to the site is via a small residential road through Millfields and given the elderly nature of resident this is clearly not a desirable route for extra vehicle movement.
* There was a more pressing need for the provision of additional one-bedroom accommodation for the elderly than for additional 3 to 4 bedroom houses - there are currently a number of these for sale in the village.
* A moderately sized residential development adjacent to elderly accommodation is not a good mix

We understand that SNC is unaware of the original intention for this site which purpose we would support as the number of elderly people in the village is increasing.

Mrs Thomas supported the use of this site for an extension of care for the elderly.

GNLP0178 - Land Adjacent Tween Oaks, Alburgh Road for 4 dwellings and GNLP0580 - Land at Home Farm, Alburgh Road, Hempnall Green - 5 to 6 dwellings

These sites were considered not suitable for development because they are outside the existing development area and many of the problems identified in respect of site GNLP0147 above also applied at these locations.

Please see below our planning policies relevant to the above decisions:

2a) Norwich Policy Area
HPC supports retaining the Norwich Policy Area (NPA) with its current boundaries (as defined in the Joint Core Strategy to 2026) for inclusion in the emerging GNLP to 2036. The distinction between the Norwich Policy Area and the Rural Policy Area (RPA) should not be abolished in the new local plan and the area covered by the NPA should not be extended.

HPC wishes to remain within the Rural Policy Area and asks that current JCS policies that protect the rural parts of Broadland and South Norfolk from excessive development (i.e. all places outside the NPA including Hempnall) should be retained in the GNLP to 2036. New development proposed for inclusion in the 2036 plan should be concentrated in the already suburbanised parts of the NPA.

2b) Settlement Hierarchy
HPC considers that the existing Settlement Hierarchy (as defined in the JCS) should be retained in the GNLP to 2036 and re-states its resolve to remain a Service Village and to resist any attempt to be elevated up the hierarchy in the new plan, e.g. to the next level currently known as Key Service Centre.

2c) Development Area Boundary
HPC opposes any development of the village outside the currently defined development boundary. We support infill of small groups of dwellings and small scale businesses and services inside the development area demarcated by this boundary but oppose large scale housing estates.

Definitions
JCS -The Joint Core Strategy for Broadland, Norwich and South Norfolk to 2026
GNLP - The emerging Greater Norwich Local Plan (to 2036)
HPC - Hempnall Parish Council

Saffron Housing, in association with our Parish Council have undertaken a housing need survey in Hempnall which has demonstrated the following need for Affordable Housing in our village:
5 x 2 Bedroom House - Shared Ownership
1 x 3 Bedroom House - Shared Ownership

6 x 1 Bedroom dwellings - Affordable Rent
1 x 2 Bedroom Wheelchair Bungalow - Affordable Rent
1 x 2 Bedroom Lifetime Homes Bungalow - Affordable Rent
1 x 2 Bedroom dwellings - Affordable Rent

We support the provision of this housing in the village as long as it is provided on an exception site and the obvious location for such a development would be on land that SNC owns adjacent to the existing social housing at Millfields. This land was originally designated for social housing and was referred to as the site for Millfields phase 2 on plans dating from the time that Millfields (phase one) was built. it is an ideal site to accommodate the number and type of dwellings that were identified in the Saffron survey.

We note however that SNC has put this site forward for inclusion in the GNLP for market housing. The Parish Council does not support allocating new sites for housing if they are located outside the current development boundary of the village and therefore has objected to the proposal that this site be included in the GNLP. However, as already stated, we do support the delineation of this site as an Exception site to accommodate the identified housing need. Treating it as an Exception site would accord with the South Norfolk Council's original intention of using the site for social housing.

we fully understand that if SNC makes this an Exception site, it has financial implications but there is a need for affordable housing in the village and the District Council should play its part in addressing this need. In the past we have been unable to secure an Exception site elsewhere in the village due to the reluctance of landowners to make land available for this purpose. Surely a responsible local authority should prioritise the provision of a proven need for an Exception site above an aspiration to profit from the development of the site as a location for market housing.

Annual Monitoring Reports of the Joint Core Strategy clearly demonstrate the failure of the current local plan to deliver the required amount of social housing (overall affordable housing averages only 11% of the total) and the propensity of developers to build houses with 3 or more bedrooms in order to maximise profits. If the site is included in the GNLP it will be mainly used as a site for large houses and Hempnall already has a more than adequate supply of such dwellings as evidenced by the large number of "For Sale" boards outside a considerable number of large houses in the village - supply of this type of property clearly outstrips demand.

The only way to guarantee the provision of the identified need for genuinely affordable social housing in Hempnall is via an Exception site and we urge SNC to support us in this matter. If a local authority cannot put need above greed then who can?

Hempnall Parish Council has submitted further reps to the GNLP process outlining the policies and approach that it is applying in response to the emerging GNLP.