South Norfolk Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan (Reg. 18 Draft)

Preferred for up to 12 dwellings on a site of 1 hectare.

Reasoned justification: The site is well located for access to local services and facilities in the village. The principal constraint on the site is the high-pressure pipeline running along the western boundary, and the associated easements. It is therefore not proposed to allocate any closer to the pipeline than the existing dwellings on Mill Road. Restricting the extent of the site also has the benefit that it will not obscure views of the church to the south or impact too greatly on the River Valley Landscape. The site otherwise has few constraints.

Preferred for up to 25 dwellings on a site of 1 hectares.

Reasoned justification: The site is relatively well related to the existing village. However, progression of the site will be subject to further discussions with the Lead Local Flood Authority about the identified flood risk across the site and the mitigation measures that would be required to address this. Discussions with the highways authority indicate that highway safety concerns could be address. Whilst there would be a landscape impact to development in this location it could also provide an opportunity to enhance a gateway approach to the settlement.

Preferred for up to 12 dwellings on a site of 0.5 hectares.

Reasoned justification: The site is well located within the village, there are few on-site constraints and the landscape impact of the site within the River Valley is largely contained/mitigated by the surrounding development. The main constraint would be access. Vehicular traffic would need to use Mill Lane, which has limitations; however, there is a separate footpath to the rear of Florence Way which leads back to the Mill Lane/Mill Road junction. Florence Way does not appear to have been constructed to the County Council's adoptable standards, and negotiation with the owner of road will be required; the promoter of the site states that this has been initiated.

SN0019SL

Land at Old Post Office Land, Kirby Cane

The site is well connected and is accessible to local services however significant highways concerns have been identified about access to the site, as well as townscape and residential amenity concerns caused by the backland form of development proposed for the site.

SN0303SL

South west corner of Henry's Field, Mill Lane, Ellingham

Whilst the site is adjacent to the existing Settlement Limit and within a reasonable distance of local services and facilities, this does not outweigh the limitations of the site in highways terms. The site also provides an attractive rural setting within the River Valley landscape, when approaching

SN0304

South east corner of Ellingham Island, opposite Henry's Field, Mill Lane, Ellingham

Whilst the site is adjacent to the existing Settlement Limit and within a reasonable distance of local services and facilities, this does not outweigh the limitations of the site in highways terms. The site also provides an attractive rural setting within the River Valley landscape, when approaching Ellingham from The Broads to the south, as well as from the public rights of way on and near the site.

SN0306

Land adjacent to South Lodge, Old Yarmouth Road

The site is part of a smaller group of dwellings separated from the main village (and the local facilities) by the A143 bypass; as such, there is no current Settlement Limit in this location. The site also lies within the landscaped parkland of Ellingham Hall and forms a long, tree-filled gap on the sparsely developed northern side of the Old Yarmouth Road, and it is considered that the negative landscape and heritage impacts could not be reasonably mitigated.

SN0344

Land to the east of Church Road, Kirby Cane

As promoted, it is excessive in size and therefore a smaller site area has also been considered as part of this assessment. Significant highways concerns, in particular creating a safe access into the site, have been identified as well as landscape concerns arising from the detached location of the site. It is not considered that either the highway safety concerns nor the landscape impact could be reasonably overcome.

SN0396

Land at Kirby Row, Newgate Lane, Kirby Cane

The site relates reasonably well to the settlement and is adjacent to existing development. Some landscape and flood risk concerns have been identified however significant highways issues have been raised, including difficulties achieving an acceptable access to the site (which is currently accessed via an unadopted track), and visibility concerns at the Newgate Lane/Mill Road junction.

SN4002SL

Otto's Wood, north end of Lockhart Road Ellingham

Whilst this site is suitably located within the village, with good access, the site is heavily treed and covered by a group TPO. The loss of trees would be detrimental to the amenity and character of the area, which is within the defined River Valley, with the added potential ecological/biodiversity implications of losing the woodland habitat.

SN4018

Land to the west of Church Road, Ellingham

The site is adjacent to the primary school and playing field and a walkable distance to other local facilities and has few on-site constraints. However, the site would clearly be a detached group of houses, 200m+ from the nearest dwellings, with the development potential of the intervening land limited by a high-pressure pipeline. The site is set within a very open River Valley landscape, clearly visible in views from The Broads and the edge of the Conservation Area along Geldeston Road to the south, and numerous other footpaths and highways. The site promoter has suggested the site could deliver an additional play area and parking for the primary school, but it is not evident that there has been engagement with the school/NCC and this would make the developed area further detached.

SN4054

Land adjacent to 123 Old Yarmouth Road, Ellingham

Although the site is brownfield, the majority is used for caravan storage, which could relatively easily revert to greenfield. The site has good access to some services (such as the primary school) but is at the limits of reasonable distances for others. The site adjoins a detached part of the settlement which currently has no defined Settlement Limit, separated from the main village by the A143 bypass. Access would require the removal of a substantial road frontage hedge and the site contains a number of trees, the loss of which would alter the character of the area. Development would be largely backland, on land which sits lower than the existing road frontage properties, with potential amenity issues.