Draft Greater Norwich Local Plan – Part 1 The Strategy

Representing Norfolk Constabulary:

Norfolk Constabulary have the responsibility for policing and making Norfolk a safe place where people want to live, work, travel and invest in.

Appendix 1 details infrastructure requirements and it provides additional detail to support policy 4 of this plan. It sets out infrastructure requirements to serve growth as identified in the Greater Norwich Local Plan Infrastructure Needs Report (GNLPINR). The GNLP confirms that the GNLPINR (and appendix 1) will be updated to inform the GNLP Regulation 19 version.
The infrastructure will be provided by a variety of organisations and funding sources.

Norfolk Constabulary recognise the importance of providing robust and fully justified evidence to support their infrastructure requirements. Work is underway to prepare a Police Infrastructure Needs Strategy to inform the Regulation 19 version of the GNLP and the Greater Norwich Local Plan Infrastructure Needs Report.

Representing Norfolk Constabulary:

Norfolk Constabulary have the responsibility for policing and making Norfolk a safe place where people want to live, work, travel and invest in.

The importance and priority to wider strategic infrastructure in the GNLP area is welcomed.

Norfolk Police have significant pressure on resources because of new development and need to ensure that its strategic infrastructure reflects the increased pressure on their resources as a result on growth. Whilst a new strategic site has been identified east of Norwich to address pressures in this part of the Plan area, further pressure has been identified in north Norwich. As a result, a key element of police infra-structure required to serve the Greater Norwich area is a new response facility to serve north Norwich (and the associated growth which will come forward to 2038 and beyond). It is essential to meet operational needs that this is provided close to the NDR to deliver response policing, plus foster a safe and secure environment and quality of life (and limit crime and disorder and the fear of crime). This will meet the clear aspirations of Policy 2 to ensure the delivery of ‘inclusive, resilient and safe communities’

It is therefore essential that the requirements of Norfolk Constabulary are included within the strategic infrastructure element of policy 4 (mirroring the priority given to health requirements). Therefore, the policy should be revised to read as follows

The Greater Norwich local authorities and partners will lobby for the timely delivery of improvements to infrastructure, including that set out in appendix 1 and to:
• The energy supply network including increased capacity at primary substations at Cringleford, Peachman Way, Sprowston and Earlham Grid Local and/or innovative smart solutions to off-set the need for reinforcement;
• the waste water network, at Whitlingham water recycling centre and the Yare Valley sewer, to protect designated habitats;
• police infra-structure
• health care infrastructure.

This would address the strategic needs of Norfolk Constabulary. Furthermore, this would complement the approach adopted by Norfolk Police, when working with communities on Neighbourhood Plans, where the inclusion of clear reference to the use of developer contributions and / or CIL monies to deliver local initiatives that create safer communities (and reduce crime) is encouraged.

Norfolk Constabulary have the responsibility for policing and making Norfolk a safe place where people want to live, work, travel and invest in.

Central Government place great emphasis on the role of the Police. Furthermore, National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) gives significant weight to promoting safe communities (in section 8 of the NPPF). This is highlighted by the provision of paragraph 91, which states

Planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places which…….

b) are safe and accessible, so that crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine the quality of life or community cohesion ….

Therefore the inclusion within criteria 1, 6 and 7 of the importance of creating safe, inclusive, resilient communities is welcomed.

Within the policy however, specific reference should be made to require developers of major developments (of 500+ dwellings) to detail the measures that will be taken to deliver safe, resilient and inclusive communities including how they will fund the necessary infra-structure. Therefore, criteria (i) of this policy should include reference to the specific objective to create and maintain a safer community and reduce crime and disorder.

Representing Norfolk Constabulary:

Norfolk Constabulary have the responsibility for policing and making Norfolk a safe place where people want to live, work, travel and invest in.

Central Government place great emphasis on the role of the Police. Furthermore, National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) gives significant weight to promoting safe communities (in section 8 of the NPPF). This is highlighted by the provision of paragraph 91, which states

Planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places which…….

b) are safe and accessible, so that crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine the quality of life or community cohesion ….

A key to providing sustainable communities that are safe and accessible so that crime and disorder do not undermine community cohesion (and quality of life) is to ensure that the necessary police infra-structure is available to serve existing and new communities, where new development places additional pressures on Police.

Based on the clear national planning policy advice (and to ensure consistency with GNLP Policy 2), it is considered that within the Infra-structure element of the Delivery Statement, specific reference should be made to Norfolk Police and its wording should be revised to read

Infrastructure priorities benefit existing communities, support growth, improve connectivity and access to economic and social opportunities, maintain and enhance safe and cohesive communities and deliver sustainable and active travel choices to promote modal shift.

The Greater Norwich partners will continue to work to coordinate delivery with other providers including Highways England, Anglian Water, other transport and utilities companies, town and parish council, Norfolk Police and local health care providers. Infrastructure will be delivered through: …..