Business Growth or Community Preservation?
But it is the strong focus on business rather than on the community which concerns opposition councillors. Both LibDems and Green Party fear that much of the proposed investment, including those by the Greater Norwich Growth Board, of which Broadland Council is a participant, are going towards road-building. Ostensibly the roads are to improve communications for business. However, the concern is that they are really about opening up access to agricultural land and other sites for the benefit of large scale housing developers.
“What we are seeing is national highways connecting communities but cutting villages in half,” Green Party councillor and Brundall candidate Jan Davis explains. “Plumstead and Thorpe End are garden villages. However, this won’t be for long if the creeping large scale, in-fill developments are allowed. These small villages will become urbanised – part of a larger town. Residents tell us they don’t want this.”
The Affordable Housing Challenge
The Liberal Democrats, Green Party and Labour candidates are adamant that Broadland needs more affordable housing. However too often planning applications which were approved with 30% of affordable homes are later claimed to be “economically unviable”. Subsequently the developer is granted permission to significantly reduce the number of affordable homes to a much lower figure, if any at all. So more executive housing is built, priced out of reach of those starting out in their careers.
“What Broadland needs are the right homes, in the right place, at an affordable price,” says Cllr Davis. “Broadland is losing talented people because they cannot afford to get on the housing ladder.”
