Another controversial development in Broadland of 130-165 dwellings and a medical centre located off Green Lane East, Little Plumstead. Objectors included, among others:
- Great & Little Plumstead PC
- Rackheath PC
- Salhouse PC
- Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)
Reasons for the objections varied but followed similar themes:
- The location for the proposed houses is outside the settlement boundary/limit of Great & Little Plumstead and any other settlement boundary and therefore is contrary to established Broadland policy.
- The site is not allocated for housing, and largely lies within land designated as countryside.
- The proposal is against Broadland Policies addressing climate change and protecting environmental assets.
- Broadland and Greater Norwich currently demonstrates at least a five-year supply of land for housing. I.e. there is no need to allocate even further countryside land for housing development.
- The recent closure of the Broad Lane junction has provided a physical barrier
between the site and the parish it would serve (Great & Little Plumstead) providing no integration with its Parish and Community. Green Lane East is now a dead-end road. - Limited bus services. Access to the medical centre would have to be by car adding to daily vehicle movements along a dead-end road.
- A single access road. No joined up cycle routes or footpaths.
- No commitment to affordable housing.
- Rackheath currently has 800 houses waiting to be built and this development does not provide any amenities, like schools etc.
- The medical centre is not centrally located or easy to access. Local doctors have confirmed they are not interested in operating from the location.
- Appears a speculative proposal to gain advantage from enhanced land values in the change from agricultural land to land with planning consent.
And the list of objections goes on. At the Planning Committee meeting (available on YouTube) some of the councillors being asked to vote on the application stated they "did not know", "it was not easy", and "I'm not sure" so if that is the case why vote it through?! Even the Leader of Broadland Council objected on the grounds that it did not fit into any current local neighbourhood plan being outside existing settlement limits!
So what happens? The planning committee vote through the planning application, the farmer gets a good payout, and the developer can go ahead and build houses on open countryside between the NDR and railway line and a medical centre in the wrong place with no public transport connections and no guarantee there will be any doctors to staff it!
This is planning in Norfolk today!!
