Draft Greater Norwich Local Plan – Part 1 The Strategy

Comment

Representation ID: 22731

Received: 16/03/2020

Respondent: Pegasus Group

Policy 5 of the GNLP Draft Strategy sets out a requirement of 33% affordable housing on sites of 10 or more units, despite the 2017 Central Norfolk Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) 28% affordable housing at present. Affordable requirement should be based on up to date evidence and should be subject to detailed viability testing at a range of scenarios.
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It would also be worth considering a variable affordable requirement, including on market locations, tenure mix and infrastructure requirements to provide flexibility and maintain viability across Greater Norwich.

Comment

Representation ID: 22732

Received: 16/03/2020

Respondent: Pegasus Group

According to the GNLP, the ‘Key Service Centres’ have a relatively good range of services, access to public transport and employment opportunities and play a vital role in serving the rural areas. It also identifies that these roles are intended to continue to be supported by appropriate levels of development. The Draft GNLP Strategy states that the Key Service Centres of Acle, Blofield, Brundall, Hethersett, Hingham, Loddon / Chedgrave, Poringland / Framingham Earl, Reepham and Wroxham, will deliver 3,417 homes over the plan period (approximately 8% of the proposed housing growth). Our client agrees with the broad approach to increasing the levels of development within the Key Service Centres which will assist in safeguarding existing services, public transport links and infrastructure. In addition to this, delivering growth in villages will diversify the local community and allow others to benefit from village life should they wish to do so, which is consistent with paragraph 78 of the NPPF.
The GNLP Draft Strategy outlines that the Councils would consider an increase in the number of allocated sites in ‘Key Service Centres’ and it is noted that there are many reasonable alternative sites in these locations. In particular, our client suggests that the Councils should consider additional small and medium sized sites, across these sustainable locations, which are well related to the form and character of the settlement and are capable of accommodating housing growth within the plan period.
The GNLP Draft Strategy identifies that Loddon / Chedgrave has a good range of services, good public transport links and is well located between Norwich and Lowestoft to benefit from employment growth, including in the offshore energy sector. As a result, designated Key Service Centres, such as Loddon, should be a focus for sustainable levels of housing growth.

Comment

Representation ID: 22733

Received: 16/03/2020

Respondent: Pegasus Group

Our client, Halsbury Homes Ltd wishes to comment specifically on the Key Service Centre of Loddon/Chedgrave, given that they are actively promoting a site in the village (Land off Norton Road). The Draft GNLP strategy, notes that Loddon / Chedgrave has a good range of services, good public transport links and is well located between Norwich and Lowestoft to benefit from employment growth, including in the offshore energy sector.
The GNLP Draft Strategy outlines that the Councils would consider increasing the number of allocated sites in ‘Key Service Centres’ and as there are many reasonable alternative sites in these locations. Our client suggests that the Councils should consider additional small and medium-sized sites, across these sustainable locations, which are well related to the form and character of the settlement and are capable of accommodating housing growth. The need to deliver sites in ‘Key Service Centres’ has become more prominent as outlined above with the miscalculation of the standards method figure, and due to the Councils historic under-delivery of strategic sites.
Loddon has one new proposed housing allocation in the Draft GNLP Strategy, which is to the south-east of the settlement (Policy GNLP0312, Land to the east of Beccles Road) for the development of over 180 homes. According to the Draft GNLP Strategy, the proposed site allocation is considered to be “well related to the form and character of the settlement and is less constrained than other sites promoted, which raise access or townscape and heritage concerns.” Land off Norton Road is also well
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related to the form and character of the settlement and is less constrained than other proposed sites to townscape and heritage concerns, given that this proposed allocation would adjoin onto the north western boundary of ‘Land to the east of Beccles Road.’ In addition to this our client’s site is available and deliverable within the plan period, as site access can be secured to the North of the site from Norton Road. There is also some scope to create through access from the proposed allocation of Land to the east of Beccles Road (GNLP0312) to the west. Thereby, the allocation of our client’s would lead to a natural extension of the eastern settlement boundary of Loddon and would crucially assist in providing the Councils with greater certainty over housing delivery over the next plan period.