Full text:
The Site represents a sustainable location for development which will deliver a significant level of housing and, crucially, can deliver a solution to Wymondham's secondary education capacity constraint. As identified throughout these representations, the GNLP should seek to deliver growth within the Core Area and Cambridge Norwich Growth Corridor. The Site is located within both of these
key areas. Furthermore, it is located within the existing Norwich Policy Area (NPA). In the main, the site is located outside the designated Hethersett - Wymondham Strategic Gap, with the exception of an area east of the site (identified for open space).
As demonstrated in the Masterplan, as well as delivering up to 1,500 residential dwellings (including affordable housing), the site could deliver mixed use/employment land, a local centre, land for a primary school / High School / All through school, allotments, significant areas of formal and informal open space included sports pitches and courts. In addition, the site would allow the delivery of 'Kett's Oak Country Park' to the east of the town, seeking to enhance the setting of the historic Kett's Oak and improving public access and recreational opportunities to the countryside, a key policy objective (WYM 9) of the adopted WAAP.
The proposed site includes capacity for the provision of a new Secondary School site, located between Norwich Common and the A11. The location of the school would be ideally located, servicing the consented development (and proposed allocation) to the northeast of Wymondham, while remaining accessible to the remainder of the town and nearby villages, including Hethersett.
The delivery of a secondary school in Wymondham (or in the south-west sector of the NPA) is a strategically important matter. Therefore, the provision of a school site within the promotion land is considered to be a substantial benefit that the scheme can deliver, thus providing a solution to the persistent secondary education constraint which has continued through previous plan-making exercises.
Furthermore, as noted in the Site Proposals consultation report, no other HELAA sites in Wymondham or within the wider area have identified the potential to deliver a solution to the secondary school capacity issues that will arise through development to 2036. As such, the proposed allocation presents a unique and significant opportunity to achieve a strategic priority of the plan.
In regards to the other constraints identified in the Site Proposals consultation document and as detailed in Section 5, the site is located to maintain the separation of Wymondham and Hethersett with no residential development located within the strategic gap, the site is located away from Wymondham Abbey and the historic market town core, thereby ensuring the setting of these key heritage assets is preserved, and the site is well located to the existing highway network with no requirement for any off-site highway improvements relating to access under
the railway line affecting south Wymondham.
The Site Proposals consultation document concludes that the least constrained sites within Wymondham are located to the north of the town, with the site (HELAA site GNLP0525) potentially suitable for significant growth. This area, to the north of Wymondham, has been subject to a number of applications/appeals over the past decade, all of which have been granted/allowed and have or are shortly to commence development. These committed developments are shown on the indicative Masterplan.
Within this north east sector of Wymondham, on land promoted by the Promoters, delivery has historically been very strong. Over the past 12 years circa. 800 dwellings have been completed at varying rates. Most recently, at the Carpenters Barn site, 106 dwellings have been completed in the 12 month period (January 2017 - December 2017) by a single developer.
In addition, the site is located on the B1172 Norwich Common. This is on the proposed route of the Bus Rapid Transit route from Wymondham Railway Station to Norwich. This represents significant advantages of located development at the site and access to high quality public access. The delivery of further growth can assist in contributing towards the delivery of the BRT in this location.
The site, at 'Land at North East Wymondham' is deliverable, providing an appropriate location for growth which will help the GNLP achieve its Visions and Objectives. Crucially, the site provides a solution to the persistent Secondary education constraint in Wymomdham and across the south-west. The site is considered to be sustainable and located in proximity to existing services and facilities, as well as near to proposed employment opportunities along the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor. As such, it is considered a suitable site to be allocated in the GNLP.
SEE ATTACHED REPORT
