Full text:
Response to the Site Proposals document
In response to Question 2 of the Site Proposals document, which seeks comments on sites already submitted, we include below detailed information in support of the allocation of our client's site at St Mary's Road, Long Stratton (Site Reference: GNLP0509) for residential development of 52 dwellings, association public open space and access from St Mary's Road.
Site Description
The site is 3.6 hectares in size and comprises two lower quality agricultural parcels of land located outside but contiguous with the south-western edge of the built-up area of Long Stratton. The site benefits from an existing vehicular access from St Marys Road via a field gate which can be utilised to serve a residential development of the extent proposed. There are no Public Rights of Way which traverse or adjoin the site.
The site lies entirely within Flood Zone 1, classified as having a low probability of flooding. It is not within a Conservation Area or within close proximity to any listed buildings. There are no Tree Preservation Orders or statutory or non-statutory designated ecological sites within the vicinity of the site. The site is in a sustainable location within walking distance of a range of services and facilities and bus stops.
[site plan included as per attached document]
The Proposed Development
A full planning application was submitted for 66 dwellings and a large area of open space on the site at the end of March 2017. The application proposed residential development on the eastern of the site's two fields, with a large area of public open space being provided on the western field.
Following positive discussions with the Council's planning officers it is now proposed to reduce the number of dwellings proposed to 52 in order to enable the inclusion of an area of public open space and children's play space within the residential area in the eastern field. The new area of open space would be provided in addition to the large area already proposed to the west of the site. A revised site layout plan has not yet been formerly submitted, but officers have confirmed that the sketch layout enclosed with this letter has positively responded to their previous comments, subject to a few minor amends that will be made ahead of formal submission.
The revised scheme proposes:
* The erection of 52 dwellings comprising a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses and bungalows;
* 33% affordable housing;
* Vehicular access off St Mary's Road with a Type 3 road connecting to a series of private drives and shared surfaces;
* Continuation of footpaths from St Mary's Road into the site in order to provide pedestrian accessibility to Flowerpot Lane and thereafter Manor Road enabling access to nearby schools and the centre of Long Stratton.
A footpath will also be provided along the southern side of Flowerpot Lane to the west of St Mary's Road where it is currently lacking, increasing pedestrian accessibility to the west of Long Stratton;
* The significant provision of 1.6 hectares of public open space in the western of the site's two fields;
* Policy compliant levels of public open space within the residential area in the eastern field; and
* The retention and enhancement of existing boundary planting and additional site wide landscaping.
The Applicant
Orbit Homes (2020) Limited is part of the Orbit Group, a registered social landlord and the 5th largest in the UK who own and manage a wide range of family homes, sheltered apartments, mobility homes and first time buyer properties across the Midlands, East, and South of England. Orbit Homes (2020) Limited are the developing arm of the housing association and are the second largest in the UK.
The Orbit Group is a non-profit making company without stakeholders who re-invest any surplus revenue generated from market sales into the delivery of affordable housing. This enables the company to continue to provide high quality affordable housing with or without dependence on public subsidy. It is Orbit's intention to maintain a long term interest in the site, managing the affordable units and using the funds generated from the private sales to invest elsewhere in the local area.
Assessment
As demonstrated in our comments to the Growth Options document, there is a clear need for additional site allocations in the most sustainable settlements in South Norfolk to help meet a stretching housing requirement to support the City Deal's growth aspirations and address local affordability issues.
It is recognised that Long Stratton is already set to receive a significant level of development through Policy LNGS1 of the Long Stratton Area Action plan which allocates 1,800 homes on land to the east, south-east and north-west of the town. This site allocation is set to bring significant benefits to the town, most notably the provision of a long awaited A140 bypass. It is clear, however, that despite the best intentions of the Council to bring this allocation forward as soon as possible, there have been significant delays caused by the complexity of delivering this key piece of infrastructure.
Delivery projections for Policy LNGS1 have been consistently pushed back. The Councils' Annual Monitoring Report published in January 2017 projected the delivery of 610 dwellings during the five years from 2018/19 to 2022/231, but this figure has now been revised to just 280 dwellings2 during the same timeframe. Planning applications were finally submitted for the different parts of Policy LNGS1 in January 2018, but we still consider that the Council's delivery projections of 280 dwellings in the next five years are overly optimistic. We would expect the planning process for a site of this scale to take at least 4 years with an added few months following the grant of full planning permission before the first home is delivered.
The table below contains the delivery projections in the Council's most recent housing trajectory for sites in Long Stratton. It shows that even based on the Council's overly optimistic predictions for Policy LNGS1, zero properties expected to be delivered in the next 2 years and just 35 homes in the next 3 years. Following the grant of planning permission, it is anticipated that the development of St Mary's will take approximately 2 years to construct and could be completed by the end of 2020. The development of the promoted site would therefore help fill the currently predicted gap in housing delivery in the town to ensure the GNLP's goals are met.
[Long Stratton Housing Trajectory table as per appended document]
Land at St Mary's Road, Long Stratton represents a suitable, achievable, viable and therefore deliverable source of housing land in the first few years of the plan period. It is in a sustainable location for residential development and is entirely unconstrained with nothing preventing development taking place immediately upon the receipt of the requisite consents. We therefore consider that it should be allocated in the emerging GNLP to help achieve the required growth in the Greater Norwich area and South Norfolk in particular.
