Local Plan Monitor – January

The Greater Norwich Development Partnership have published their latest strategy paper setting out proposed growth locations. Following the meeting held on 29 January, cabinet members were all generally supportive of this high-level approach. The strategy continues with a target of 7,200 new homes, with policies also encouraging a total of 5,000 new homes via windfall sites. The overall locational strategy for growth sees more development going into existing growth locations, particularly north- east and south-west of Norwich and various market towns and villages. The strategy also shows support for further growth around the A11 corridor, including focused growth around Wymondham, Costessey, Cringleford, Hethersett and Little Melton. Moving forward, promoters should provide evidence to inform the preferred and alternative sites which will be published in the Regulation 19 consultation document, due in September/October 2019.

Norwich

The Council are inviting comments on the draft Affordable Housing SPD until 13 February 2019. Once adopted it will be considered as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications. Of particular note are a local definition of affordable housing to meet needs in Norwich; the suggestion that care home and student accommodation schemes on allocated sites should provide affordable housing; and viability assessments must be made public.

Babergh & Mid-Suffolk

The Babergh and Mid-Suffolk Regulation 18 ‘preferred options’ joint Local Plan has now slipped in timeframe. Publication was previously intended for mid-January, however this is now likely to be pushed back until after the May elections. An exact date for publication is imminent although not forthcoming as of yet.

Suffolk Coastal

The Suffolk Coastal Draft Local Plan is in its final stages of consultation, with a 6-week representation period currently open from 14 January until Monday 25 February 2019. In particular, the draft plan sets out proposed locations for future growth and specific site allocations within the District.

King’s Lynn and West Norfolk

The draft local plan is due to go to cabinet on 5 February 2019. Following a decision by members to take this forward, a full public consultation will then commence. This consultation will allow comments on proposed policies, plus allocations and non-allocation sites.

North Norfolk

North Norfolk District Council is currently preparing to undertake a new consultation on future development opportunities within the District’s villages which have not previously been identified for growth in the emerging Local Plan. Timeframes for consultation are currently being discussed at Working Party Development Committee meetings. Mid-March 2019 or June 2019 are the two potential dates for the consultation to take place.

West Suffolk

A new district-level council for the West Suffolk area is being created on 1 April 2019, entirely replacing Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury Councils. The adopted Local Plans for St Edmundsbury Borough and adopted and emerging Local Plans for Forest Heath District will continue to apply until a new Local Plan for West Suffolk is adopted, which is currently scheduled for mid-2023.

St Edmundsbury Borough Council recently ran a Call for Sites which closed at the end of December 2018. Following this, the Council will then formulate their Housing and Availability Land Assessment which is due to be published imminently.

Ipswich

Ipswich Borough Council are currently consulting on a number of Policy documents and SPD’s, including Preferred Options (regulation 18) of the Core Strategy and Policies Development Plan Document Review, and the Site Allocations Document Review which both run until 13 March 2019. Additional consultation on two SPD documents – the Ipswich Town Centre and Waterfront Public Realm Strategy and the Ipswich Urban Characterisation Study – both of which run until 27 February 2019.

Live Consultations

Upcoming Consultations

In Other News – Appeals and Applications

Little Melton, Norfolk

A Planning Inspector has granted outline planning permission for circa 30 dwellings on the edge of Little Melton, Norfolk following a refusal by South Norfolk District Council in 2018.

Lanpro successfully argued on behalf of Glavenhill Strategic Land that the Greater Norwich Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) 2017 (which shows the Council to be able to demonstrate a 5 year supply of housing within the Norwich Policy Area) can be afforded only “limited weight” in the determination process, having not been subject to Examination in Public. The Inspector agreed that the Council’s inability to demonstrate a 5-year supply against their adopted Local Plan requirement, triggers the presumption in favour of sustainable development set out in both Local and National Planning Policy. The Inspector concluded that the development would be of social and economic benefit and that any harm would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh these benefits.

Further information

For more information, please do get in contact. Within the East of England, we also monitor Council’s 5-year Housing Land Supply Position, and the progression of Neighbourhood Plans.

Contact

Stephen Flynn

Email:  stephen@lanproservices.co.uk

Tel:      01603 631 319