Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan - Alternative Sites & Focused Changes (Reg. 18)

8. Mulbarton, Bracon Ash, Swardeston and East Carleton

Form and Character

Swardeston

8.1. Swardeston has developed either side of the B1113, with outliers of development around The Common. The historic 'core' of the village is to the west of the main road where there are a number of older cottages facing The Common. More recent estate scale development has taken place to the east of the B1113.

8.2. The focus of the village is The Common which occupies some 21 hectares. There has been some limited infilling in the surrounding settlement groups but its character as a large, informal open space crossed by a network of unmade tracks has remained and contributes greatly to the pleasant rural character of the village. There is an outlier of development to the south of the road leading to Lower East Carleton. The landscape to the east of the village is open.

Services and Community Facilities

8.3. Swardeston has several specialist shops, a village hall and a regular bus service to Norwich, with cluster facilities concentrated in nearby Mulbarton.

Settlement Limit

Swardeston

8.4. The Settlement Limit has been drawn to include the main built form of the settlement and include the previously allocated land west of Main Road. The Settlement Limit is fragmented and has been updated to reflect recent developments at the former nursery site, Bobbins Way (2017/2247). In addition, there is a Settlement Limit around two groups of dwellings to the north and west of the common, on Intwood Lane and The Common.

Site allocations and options

8.5. The January 2023 Regulation 19 document included two allocations in Swardeston, VC SWA1, Land off Bobbins Way, Swardeston which allocates 1.0ha for approximately 20 dwellings. It is proposed to retain this allocation unchanged.

8.6. The second allocation is a site carried froward from the 2015 South Norfolk Local Plan, VC SWA2, Land on Main Road, Swardeston, which allocates 2.7 hectares of land for approximately 30 dwellings. It is proposed to retain this allocation, but also consider it for a potential increase in numbers.

8.7. Also within this cluster the document included a new allocation for up to 35 dwellings on Land east of Bluebell Road and north of The Rosery, Mulbarton, and a carried forward 2015 Local Allocation for approximately 20 dwellings on Land at Norwich Road, Bracon Ash. It is proposed to retain both of these allocations.

VC SWA2, Land on Main Road, Swardeston

Proposed for: This site was included in the January 2023 Regulation 19 document as a proposed allocation of 2.7ha of land for approximately 30 dwellings. It is now proposed to increase the numbers on the site to approximately 40 dwellings.

Reasoned justification: In spring 2023 a planning application was submitted for 43 dwellings on the VC SWA2 site, based on the existing allocation in the 2015 Local Plan. The application is yet to be determined; however, it is considered that the site could realistically accommodate an allocation of approximately 40 dwellings, which would ensure that it is making more effective use of allocated greenfield land, in accordance with the requirements of the NPPF.

Please note that the Council does not propose to change any other aspects of the Regulation 19 Policy for VC SWA1, other than the number of dwellings. The original Policy wording can be seen here: https://southnorfolkandbroadland.oc2.uk/document/12/1228#d1469.