Broadland Green Party campaigner and Candidate for Burlingham ward Jess Royal is campaigning against the building of a new development in Acle on land which is not allocated in the Greater Norwich Local Plan. The plans proposed are for 200 houses and 90 apartments. Brundall Ward councillor Eleanor Laming has written the following letter, published in the Eastern Daily Press on 15 February.
Dear Sir
As reported in the EDP (7 February), a planning application has come in for a potential development in Acle which comprises of 200 homes and 90 independent living apartments, all fitted with gas boilers, to be built on high grade agricultural land. on the outskirts near the station. This could increase the number of residents by another 490, and I can understand why residents might be concerned due to the likely resulting impact on infrastructure and services. The population of Acle is lower than 3000 and there are already 137 houses being built at St Edmunds park and 45 at Oaks Meadow. The site is not allocated in the local plan, but as this application is not in the area impacted by nutrient neutrality regulations, it is attractive to developers. A new community hall is promised together with a country park. However, I cannot see that this will mitigate for the loss of agricultural land and the impact this development will have on biodiversity and the surrounding environment. We do need new houses in Norfolk, but primarily these need to be affordable homes. The offer has been made for 28% of the homes to be affordable, which is a start, but numbers are often reduced at a later date by developers. Interestingly, the same developer has submitted an application for a development outside Swaffham (EDP 11 February) which has a number proposed of 40% affordable homes, so maybe the number at Acle could be increased?
We hear the announcements from both local and national administrations about plans for 20 minute neighbourhoods, increases in active travel provision, improved bus services, increases in hedgerow planting, a government vision to have 50% of journeys taken by walking or bike by 2030 and the phasing out of gas boilers by 2035. The list goes on, but what I see in reality is new housing developments built on valuable agricultural land, with car-dependency built in and lip-service paid to the environment, and it saddens me.
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23167665.acle-crocus-homes-planning-build-200-houses-village/
