Site Proposals document

We wish to support the original submission made by our client Mr Terence Hendry which seeks the allocation of 0.7ha of land (GNLP0605) located to the rear of 3 Station Road Foulsham for residential purposes. Mr Hendry is the owner of this site.

We offer the following comments as further evidence of the suitability of this site to be developed for residential purposes.

Foulsham is identified as a Service Village within the adopted Joint Core Strategy (2014) and provides all of the amenities that settlements of this category are expected to provide as specified within Policy 15. These include; a primary school; food shop; journey to work public transport service; village hall. In addition to these services, there is also available within Foulsham a village pub, a Church and playing field.

JCS policy 15 states that in each Service Village (SV) land will be allocated for small-scale housing development subject to form and character considerations. Allocations are likely to be for between 10 to 20 dwellings but can be exceeded in circumstances where the development may help local service provision. While it is acknowledged that this policy may be amended within the revised local plan we consider it is worth pointing out the proposed site is an "excellent- fit" for the size of allocations suggested within the policy and it intended that the land could be developed for between 15 to 18 dwellings.

Foulsham is located off the A1067 and is found approx. 22 miles to the north west of Norwich. The journey time by car is approx. 40 minutes or by bus (the X29) approx. 55 mins. The X29 operates numerous services on a daily basis commencing at 06.40am and terminates in the city centre in Norwich bus station. This service provides the residents with convenient and regular access to Norwich for employment, shopping, educational purposes or to access some of the many other services available within the city. The X29 service also journeys to Fakenham and Kings Lynn providing regular access also to the services and facilities found within these settlements. Foulsham is therefore very sustainably located and offers its residents excellent public transport links to larger surrounding settlements to enable them to avail of enhanced services and facilities

The proposed allocation is found at the southwestern end of the village to the rear of 3 Station Road. The site is elongated rectangular in shape and previously was in agricultural use but is currently vacant and has not been put to any beneficial use for many years. It does not have road frontage, however, Aubrey Rix Close, a development of 14 affordable homes, has recently been completed adjacent the eastern boundary of the site and it is intended that access to the proposed allocation can be taken from the road servicing this development. While much of the centre of Foulsham is a designated Conservation Area the site is neatly tucked away behind existing development extending along Station Road and is generally well screened from public view. The development of this land therefore will not compromise or impact visually on the Conservation Area or any historic buildings.

When the public consultation exercise was undertaken for the adjoining development it emerged there was good support from local residents for the provision of additional housing within Foulsham. Existing residents recognised the need for additional housing to achieve support for local services and facilities including the primary school. The need for affordable homes was also highlighted as an essential requirement to enable younger residents to stay within the village. The proposed site will help to meet these requirements and will provide a mixture of house sizes to meet local need including the requisite number of affordable homes as set down by policy requirements.

The site is outside but immediately adjacent to the defined western limits to development identified for Foulsham within the BDC Site Allocations DPD (2014). It is therefore extremely well related to the existing built-up area with residential development adjoining the site to the east and south. The GNLP Site Proposals Map 2018 identifies all four sites that have been put forward for development within Foulsham and this readily illustrates how well this site relates to existing development, although the Claypit Road site (GNLP0275) is currently subject to a planning application. The discussion of the site within the GNLP Site Proposals Consultation Document makes the following assessment:

GNLP0605 (0.7ha) is adjacent to the recent housing allocation which has been built out. Access could be achieved via the new development. The site is adjacent to the conservation area but otherwise unconstrained.

The proposed site was also favourably assessed within the GNLP Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment 2017. It is described as a site with good access to core services including employment opportunities, primary school and public transport links. There are no known constraints to development in terms of utilities infrastructure, ground contamination or flood risk. Good design should ensure there will be minimal impact on the setting of the Conservation Area and the adjoining townscape. Initial highway evidence has indicated that potential access constraints could be overcome through development.

Furthermore, the consultation draft changes to the NPPF has identified that Local Plans should increase the supply of smaller site, to aid the delivery of housing.

In conclusion, it is considered that this site represents an ideal opportunity to provide additional residential development at an appropriate scale within the village of Foulsham. The site readily meets the requirements of sustainable development as set out in the NPPF. It is will result in the appropriate use of a small area of low grade redundant agricultural land that is well related to the built-up area of the village. The site is in the ownership of a local family, is immediately available and there are no known constraints to its development.