Draft Greater Norwich Local Plan – Part 1 The Strategy

Dear GNLP Team,

Please see also the Hempnall Parish Council Position Statement on sites In Hempnall proposed by landowners for inclusion in the GNLP – included with this submission (see attached). This Position Statement, which deals directly with the detail of what Hempnall Parish Council wants for Hempnall, should be considered alongside our consultation response which makes a number of more general comments about the Draft GNLP.

March 12th, 2020

Hempnall Parish Council as a signatory to the CPRE Norfolk Pledge which asks that existing housing allocations in current plans (in this instance the Joint Core Strategy) should be built out before new allocations made in emerging and new plans can be developed is seriously concerned that the Draft GNLP Strategy makes no mention of using phasing for the delivery of new housing. We consider that any new sites allocated in the GNLP should be phased by being placed on a reserve list, and under phased development only built out when most of the existing JCS sites have been used. Inclusion of all the sites for immediate development will lead to developers “cherry-picking” the most profitable sites and newly allocated green field sites in less sustainable locations will be developed first, with even more land banking of currently allocated sites. In short, deliver the already allocated 82% of the 44,500 new homes, before giving permissions on the remaining 18%.

The current Local Plan, the Joint Core Strategy (JCS) was adopted in March 2011 with amendments adopted in January 2014: it has been in place for just over 6 years. When adopted, it was considered to be the blueprint for development in Norwich, Broadland and South Norfolk until 2026, and in doing so provided clear signals about where growth should and should not take place. In the introduction to the current consultation document it is stated that housing, jobs, services and infrastructure needs to be provided at the right time ‘and in the right places’. Hempnall Parish Council questions how the response to this has changed so markedly since adoption of the JCS and well before that Local Plan was due to expire. In particular, the construction of the Broadland Northway (NDR) (noted in paragraph 7 of the introduction) was largely intended to help the distribution of traffic to and from new housing built inside its length and in the northeast growth triangle. Moreover, there was a clear focus for housing and other growth to be in and close to Norwich, with minimal new development to be permitted in the rural policy areas of Broadland and South Norfolk. The GNLP strategy seems to be contradicting the direction of travel envisaged in the JCS and appears to undermine the planning process. A great strength of the JCS is the protection it gave to the rural areas, including Hempnall - this seems to be sacrificed in the GNLP Draft Plan.

Paragraph 6 of the Introduction is clear that ‘the GNLP must also assist the move to a post-carbon economy and protect and enhance our many environmental assets.’ It will be difficult if not impossible to meet these targets if new housing to the scale proposed in the draft strategy is dispersed across the rural areas of Broadland and South Norfolk. The main justification for this appears to be the availability of primary school places in the “village clusters”, whereas there are more important measures for sustainability which should be taken into account, including the number of car journeys and journeys by delivery vehicles to new housing, along with the associated congestion such vehicles will result in.

The introduction mentions in paragraph 25 that South Norfolk District Council will draw up its own South Norfolk Village Clusters Housing Site Allocations document. Hempnall Parish Council is very concerned that by adopting such an approach this allocations document will not receive the same level of scrutiny as the main draft strategy document. We are also very concerned that the number of additional dwellings on top of the existing commitment of 1,349 houses is given as ‘a minimum of 1,200’. The use of the word ‘minimum’ is unnecessary and potentially very alarming, as in effect this gives no limit to the maximum number of houses which could be allocated in those “village clusters”. Given the draft plan provides enough committed sites ‘to accommodate 9% more homes than “need”, along with two “contingency” locations for growth’ (page 37) and does not include windfall developments in its housing totals, the word “minimum” should be replaced with “maximum” or “up to” as is the case with the figures for Broadland’s “village clusters”. Why is there this discrepancy in language between two authorities which are part of the same Local Plan: it appears to be inconsistent and illogical.

Paragraph 41 states that ‘this GNLP needs to plan for additional housing needs above and beyond existing commitments based on the most up-to date evidence’. However, the calculations of housing need are based on the 2014 National Household Projections, which are not the most up-to date statistics, nor are they sufficiently robust to be used for such an important and far-reaching strategy. Several Local Planning Authorities, including North Norfolk District Council, are challenging the use of the 2014 figures, instead suggesting that the more up-to date 2016 National Household Projections should be used. Hempnall Parish Council agrees that the GNLP needs to be based on the most up-to date evidence, and therefore requests the GNDP insists on using the 2016 National Household Projections. If the most recent ONS statistics had been used, current commitments are sufficient to cover housing needs to 2038.

A major concern is that the draft plan largely consists of a wish list, but lacks real targets or actions, particularly on the environment and climate change.

Paragraph 120 stresses the need for ‘good access to services and facilities’ for ‘our suburbs, towns and villages’. While this is provided in the first two categories of settlement there is insufficient provision or access to services in many of the settlements within the “village clusters”. The decision to allocate additional new housing beyond what is already allocated within the JCS is based almost solely on the existence of a primary school with available places or potential for expansion within the “cluster”. This does not amount to the provision of ‘good access to services and facilities’ and therefore this level of new housing in “village clusters” should not be permitted within the GNLP.

Paragraph 125 is perhaps the strongest argument for not allocating additional housing to “village clusters” within the GNLP. Clearly, there will be a major need for journeys from and to work for many of those living in any such new housing, in addition to additional journeys by delivery vehicles to this new housing. This paragraph states the need for ‘a radical shift away from the use of the private car, with many people walking, cycling or using clean public transport.’ For the majority of the plan period it is highly wishful thinking to think that ‘electric vehicles will predominate throughout Greater Norwich’. These additional journeys will not only add to the “carbon footprint” but will also add to congestion on the road network, affecting air quality and the wellbeing of residents. If the intention of the GNLP is to locate housing close to jobs, which we agree should be a major aim, then any additional allocations of housing should be located in or close to Norwich, where there are realistic opportunities to walk or cycle to work and to services, or to use public transport to do so.
Paragraph 129 states: ‘greater efficiency in water and energy usage will have minimised the need for new infrastructure, and further reductions in carbon emissions will be delivered through the increased use of sustainable energy sources. To ensure that the water-supply to existing users is not compromised it is sensible to restrict the number of new houses to a level that realistically covers actual need, and this fact reinforces our case for phasing of housing and our questioning of the need for a higher than necessary buffer.

Paragraph 132 makes the claim that new quality development will be located to minimise the loss of green-field land. Hempnall Parish Council strongly suggests that the best way to achieve this is not to allocate additional sites for housing in “village clusters”. Indeed, there are already sufficient allocated sites for housing in the JCS being proposed to be carried forward to the GNLP in the Norwich fringe parishes, main towns and key service centres to keep pace with the likely build rates of development. The exception to this should be any brownfield sites, particularly those within Norwich, which should be prioritised into a “brownfield first” policy. This should form part of a phased approach to new housing, so that existing allocations from the JCS and any brownfield sites should be developed before permitting any additional allocated sites to be built-out.

In particular we ask that if additional sites, such as on the Britvic/Unilever Carrow Works site or the Anglia Square site (both in Norwich) become available for development, then these will not be counted as additional houses to the published targets, but that instead the extra housing numbers provided by these sites will be taken off the numbers scheduled for rural areas, reflecting the favoured view from the previous consultation for concentration of housing in and close to Norwich. In addition, this would help the GNLP to meet its Climate Change targets as well as providing more sustainable housing. We hope that a change of this nature can be accommodated before the Regulation 19 stage of the GNLP.

One effective way to prevent the unnecessary loss of much greenfield land, which in most instances is of a high quality for agriculture, would be to institute a green belt around. It is a matter of regret that this option has not been included in the current Draft plan.

In conclusion to this question, we find that the vision and objectives contain serious flaws, especially in regard to the way in which they conflict with policies within the current Local Plan, which withstood the rigorous inspection process.

This states that ‘this plan also provides choice and flexibility by ensuring there are enough committed sites to accommodate 9% more homes than “need”.’ Hempnall Parish Council disagrees that such a high level of sites should be provided within the GNLP. As a starting point please refer to our response to Q3 where we argue that the insistence of the Government to use the 2014 National Household Projections should be challenged to ensure that the most up-to date figures are used instead. In addition, by proposing not to include windfalls in the buffer the over-allocation of unnecessary housing will be compounded further.

It is very disappointing that there is no mention of phasing as an option within the Draft Plan and Housing Delivery Statement, as this would help to prevent the worst excesses of unnecessary development. We are one of 68 Parish and Town Councils in Broadland and South Norfolk (over 37%) that has supported CPRE Norfolk on this issue and have signed a pledge to this effect. With this groundswell of grassroots opinion making such a strong case, we urge the GNDP in producing the GNLP to consider phasing seriously as the most reasonable way forward.

With an existing commitment (April 2019) of 33,565 houses available in the current JCS (draft GNLP Plan page 44), and a long-term delivery rate (2009-2019) that averages 1,652 net completions per annum (figures from JCS Annual Monitoring Reports,) it is highly likely that the current commitment is sufficient to cover at least 18 years of new housing development i.e. to 2038 as a minimum. In these circumstances there really is no need for any new sites to be allocated in the GNLP.

Given the stated measures in the Climate Change Statement, it is impossible to see how the proposed additional allocation of sites for housing in “village clusters” can be justified. Furthermore, it is stated that ‘growth in villages is located where there is good access to services to support their retention’, when this is rarely the case beyond providing a primary school with sufficient places or room for expansion. Many services are simply not located within the “village clusters” with many additional vehicle journeys being an inevitable consequence of such housing allocations. Therefore, these would be contrary to measures 2 and 3 of the Climate Change Statement.

By locating additional housing in “village clusters” there would be an increased need to travel, particularly by private car, due to the lack of viable and clean public transport. If Climate Change is seriously going to be addressed then it is unacceptable to allocate additional sites for housing in rural areas which are not at all, or poorly served by public transport. New housing must be located where jobs and a wide range of services are or can be provided.

Hempnall Parish Council has serious concerns about the lack of any detailed policy on the design of new housing in the draft Plan document, other than a brief mention in the ‘Design of development’ in the Climate Change Statement. Detailed requirements to insist that new houses are built to the highest possible environmental standards beyond the Government’s minimum standards are needed, if serious steps are to be taken towards addressing Climate Change issues. All new housing should have solar panels, be insulated to the highest standard and include features such as grey water capture.

Hempnall Parish Council supported the continuation of the settlement hierarchy as defined in the JCS. We wonder why and where the concept of “village clusters” has been introduced into the planning process. For many reasons they appear to be a flawed unsustainable concept. A real strength of the JCS was its inclusion of a Norwich Policy Area and Rural Policy Areas, and therefore we are very disappointed that this distinction has been abolished. The Rural Policy Areas gave real protection to the countryside: this is threatened by the introduction of the village cluster approach. This is another example of how the Draft GNLP contradicts the existing agreed Local Plan.

As noted above in our response to Q1 Hempnall Parish Council has serious misgivings about the separation of the sites and allocations for new housing in the South Norfolk Village Clusters from the rest of the GNLP and its current consultation. In addition, we strongly object to the use of the open-ended statement that these South Norfolk “village clusters” will be allocated a ‘minimum’ of 1,200 houses, rather than giving a maximum number as is the case for the Broadland “village clusters”. If the reason for this separation is, as was given at the recent GNDP meeting of 6th January 2020, the lack of suitable sites coming forward in these South Norfolk “village clusters”, then this gives another good reason why the delivery of housing should be phased. Clearly the sites included in the JCS have undergone rigorous assessment and their inclusion in the Local Plan is an acknowledgement of their suitability for development. It makes absolute sense that these suitable sites should be developed first especially given the fact that any new sites coming forward are deemed to be unsuitable.

Paragraph 163d states that the strategy for location of growth ‘focuses reasonable levels of growth in the main towns, key service centres and village clusters to support a vibrant rural economy’, before suggesting that the approach to “village clusters” is ‘innovative’. The claim that providing new housing in such locations will support services is, we contend, largely illusory. Instead, additional new housing will lead to more car and delivery vehicle journeys, with residents travelling longer journeys to access the services they require such as health services and a supermarket. Given that the majority of any such new houses will be larger “family” homes, with children just or more likely to be of secondary or tertiary school or college age than of primary school age. This will have further negative impacts on carbon reduction due to the additional journeys needed to secondary schools or colleges.

It is clearly demonstrated in the table on page 80 of the 23 June 2017 GNDP Board Papers that the most reasonable option for the distribution of housing in terms of the environment (e.g. minimising air, noise and light pollution; improving well-being; reducing C02 emissions; mitigating the effects of climate change; protecting and enhancing biodiversity and green infrastructure; promoting the efficient use of land; respecting the variety of landscape types in the area; ensuring that everyone has good quality housing of the right size; maintaining and improving the quality of life; reducing deprivation; promoting access to health facilities and healthy lifestyles; reducing crime and the fear of crime; promoting access to education and skills; encouraging economic development covering a range of sectors and skill levels to improve employment opportunities for residents and maintaining and enhancing town centres; reducing the need to travel and promoting the use of sustainable transport modes; conserving and enhancing the historic environment and heritage assets; minimising waste generation; promoting recycling; minimising the use of the best agricultural land; maintaining and enhancing water quality and its efficient use) is Option 1: urban concentration close to Norwich. In terms of all these factors taken together the least desirable option as shown on this chart is Option 4: dispersal. We therefore strongly support urban concentration in and close to Norwich as the way forward, because it is best for the environment, minimising climate change and the well-being of residents.

There is very little economic evidence to suggest that cementing new housing estates on the edges of villages will bring any boost to local services, but rather they will put a strain on these services (especially the provision of health care and education) , where they exist.

We cannot understand why the table showing the same set of factors in the Interim Sustainability Appraisal for the GNLP on page 42 shows some different results from the table on page 80 of the 23 June 2017 GNDP Board Papers. While the most recent table confirms that overall urban concentration is a better option than dispersal, it is even clearer in the earlier version. The table on page 42 shows that urban concentration is better than dispersal in terms of: minimising air, noise and light pollution; improving well-being; reducing C02 emissions; mitigating the effects of climate change; protecting and enhancing biodiversity and green infrastructure; encouraging economic development covering a range of sectors and skill levels to improve employment opportunities for residents and maintaining and enhancing town centres; reducing the need to travel and promoting the use of sustainable transport modes. However, in terms of some of the other factors it seems that changes have been made to the table so that several options appear to be equal in terms of impacts, instead of showing what the earlier table demonstrated, which is that concentration was the best option and dispersal the least reasonable option.

Given the clear benefits and advantages from these documents for the environment, climate change and other areas, as well as other reservations around lack of sustainability and issues of delivery, we strongly urge the GNDP to remove the requirement for additional new sites for housing in the “village clusters” (including Hempnall) from the GNLP.

Paragraph 145 claims that the strategy ‘is informed by consultation feedback’, yet chooses to ignore much from previous consultations even where such feedback was significantly in favour of a particular approach. An example of this is the position taken towards windfalls. Responses to the Stage A Regulation 18 Site Proposals and Growth Options consultation were significantly against (110 to 45) counting windfalls in addition to the additional (at that point 7,200) housing, and yet this has been ignored in the current draft plan consultation. By not counting windfalls in the calculation for housing numbers in table 6, there will be a resulting over-supply of houses, particularly if the out-of-date 2014 National Housing Projections are used. Windfalls are acknowledged as a reliable source of new housing and many Local Authorities do count them towards their housing targets: their contribution towards housing targets in the GNLP should lead to a reduction in the number of new sites which are allocated.

Hempnall Parish Council also has specific concerns about the approach for housing numbers in the South Norfolk Village Clusters, as there is no total figure given for this new housing, but instead an open-ended ‘minimum of 1,200 homes’. This use of the word “minimum” needs to be removed and replaced by a “maximum” total, so that further potential over-supply is avoided. At best, the actual delivery of new housing in the plan area has only occasionally exceeded 2,000 dwellings per annum, with 1,500 being more typical. At this build-rate, current commitments cover actual housing need to 2038.

Hempnall Parish Council wants to see sites allocated for housing in the existing plan (JCS) developed before any new sites that are likely to be added in to the emerging GNLP are built out. New site allocations for housing should be treated as phased development and these sites should not be built out until the current JCS sites have been used up. We think this is a sensible approach because not only does it protect the countryside, but also at current rates of house building there is enough land already allocated in the JCS to cater for the building that is likely to occur over the new Plan period.

There is very little evidence to show that increasing the amount of land on which houses can be built actually increases the rate at which they are built. All that happens is that developers ‘cherry-pick’ the most profitable sites, which are likely to be the newly allocated green field sites and that this will lead to even more land banking of currently allocated sites. This will also mean that many less sustainable sites for housing are developed rather than those with more sustainable locations. This would result in more pollution and congestion, with the negative consequences for the climate and climate change. It also means that expensive infrastructure which has been provided to facilitate new housing in the existing plan, could end up being an irrelevant and embarrassing white elephant.

It is disappointing that there is no mention of phasing as an option within the consultation document, as this would help to prevent the worst excesses of unnecessary development. Hempnall together with a total of 68 Parish and Town Councils in Broadland and South Norfolk (over 37%)have supported CPRE Norfolk on this issue and have signed a pledge to this effect, which was included in the previous consultation, but ignored in the current draft Plan. With this groundswell of grassroots opinion making such a strong case, we urge the GNDP in producing the GNLP to consider phasing seriously as the most reasonable way forward. Clearly there is a democratic deficit: meaningful consultation should not ignore this volume of common-sense opinion.

Commenting on Policy 2 – Sustainable Communities, Hempnall Parish Council questions the use of the words “as appropriate” in the policy’s introduction, as this means the requirements would be far too open to interpretation as to what is “appropriate” and therefore opportunities to ensure that ‘mitigating and adapting to climate change, [and] assisting in meeting national greenhouse gas emissions targets’ will be missed.

This concern is particularly relevant when considering how new housing development in the “village clusters” will fulfil the first requirement to ‘ensure safe, convenient and sustainable access to on-site and local services and facilities including schools, health care, shops, leisure/community/faith facilities and libraries.’ The rationale behind these “village clusters” appears to be mainly based on the availability and accessibility of a primary school. However, safe, convenient and sustainable access to the other features on this list are equally important. Adequate health care and shops simply are not available in these ways to many of the preferred new sites for housing in the “village clusters”, therefore giving further reasons why such sites should not be included in the GNLP.

There is a worrying disconnect between the aspirations in point 6 with the need to ‘manage travel demand and promote public transport and active travel within a clearly legible public realm’, and the imposition of additional new housing in “village clusters”. It is difficult if not impossible to see how residents of the majority of this new housing will be able to use active travel or public transport, due to the likely distances from workplaces and the lack of suitable public transport. Public transport links between Hempnall and nearby Key Service Centres are non existent and links to Norwich are inadequate.

If additional new housing is developed in “village clusters” most of the working residents will not have ‘good access to services and local job opportunities’. Instead there will be an unsustainable increase in the number of journeys to and from work using private vehicles, which will not be electric-powered certainly for the majority of the plan period. It is very doubtful if additional housing will provide enough business to keep a village shop open, but it will definitely increase the number of journeys made for delivery and service vehicles, making this housing even more unsustainable.

If communities are to ‘minimise pollution’ as required to do so by point 8, it is imperative that no additional new housing is allocated to “village clusters”, as this would lead to an increase in petrol and diesel-powered vehicle journeys to and from such housing. This, along with the resultant increase in congestion, makes this additional housing highly undesirable.

Paragraphs 183 and 184 talk about the great weight placed on protecting the natural environment in Greater Norwich, but then there are no clear details on how this will be achieved. Provision of a Green Belt would go some way to addressing this.

Phasing of housing and a green belt for Norwich should have been included in the Draft plan.