Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan - Reg. 19 Pre-submission Addendum

Ended on the 7 October 2024

5. Gillingham, Geldeston, and Stockton

Form and Character

Gillingham

5.1. The historic core of the village lies along The Street and Loddon Road, with a further cluster of development along Kings Dam to the west. Estate development has occurred north of The Street, and the majority of the village (contained within the Settlement Limit) is now in a nucleated form. The older part of the village is characterised by substantial tree planting along Loddon Road, in particular the wooded area to the east and the line of trees along Forge Grove which are protected by a Tree Preservation Order.

5.2. The village is set in the Waveney Valley and adjacent to the Broads, and open views out from the village make an important contribution to its rural character. The southern fringes of the parish lie within the Broads Authority area. The attractive area around Gillingham Hall and its park was designated as a Conservation Area in 1994. The parish is well served by the A146 (providing direct links to Beccles, Lowestoft, Loddon and Norwich) and the A143 (access to Bungay, Gt Yarmouth, and to the A140 and Diss).

Geldeston

5.3. The main concentration of development is around Geldeston Hill and The Street, with a small detached cluster at West End and isolated Dockeney and Dunburgh Hill. The village has developed in a linear form along The Street with a small post-war council housing estate, The Kells, having been developed by Tayler & Green to the west of Geldeston Hill. Some infill development has occurred along The Street. The A143 to the north of the parish provides a direct road link to Bungay, the A140 and Diss to the west and Beccles and Great Yarmouth to the east and to Lowestoft and Norwich via the A146. Much of the parish to the south of the village lies within the Broads Authority area.

Stockton

5.4. Stockton is a sparsely populated parish consisting mainly of individual dwellings and farms set in open countryside. There is a small cluster located around the Church. The A146 runs through the parish and provides direct access to Norwich and Beccles. The A143 in the south provides access to Bungay.

Services and Community Facilities

5.5. The cluster has a range of social and community facilities comprising a primary school, village hall and motel in Gillingham and a village hall and pub in Geldeston. Gillingham has a regular bus service to all local towns. There is a more limited bus service in Geldeston, to Diss, Bungay, Beccles and Yarmouth. There is a petrol station, with a convenience store, and fast-food restaurants to the north at the A146/A143 roundabout, which have a direct pedestrian/cycle link from the village.

Settlement Limit

Gillingham

5.6. The Settlement Limit is in two parts. The first includes the main built form of the settlement. The second part is around the school and adjoining housing, an area which has been extended to include the recent development at Daisy Way, which was allocated in the 2015 Local Plan.

Geldeston

5.7. The Settlement Limit has been drawn to include the two main built-up forms of the settlement along The Street and The Kells, including the small allocation west of Kells Way made within the 2015 Local Plan. The boundary also includes a small cluster of dwellings east of Geldeston, off The Street.

Site allocations

VC GIL1REV

5.8. The site lies to the south of a detached area of existing residential development and Gillingham St Michael's Primary School, south of Geldeston Road/The Street, at the western end of the village. The site is well located for the local services, including a newly created pedestrian and cycle route to services at the A143/A146 junction, and buses on the main Norwich/Beccles route. Main facilities in Beccles are also within a reasonable cycling distance of the site.

5.9. It is proposed that there is a single vehicular point of access from the recently completed Daisy Way development. This recent development provides a suitable access onto The Street, and localised improvements have been implemented along the site frontage. The developer of the site is encouraged to enter into early engagement with the Highways Authority regarding possible opportunities to improve the existing highways situation at The Street as part of the allocation.

5.10. Footpath Gillingham FP12 currently runs diagonally (north-west/south-east) across the western end of the site; although the path appears to have been informally diverted around the field margins, the official route will either need to be incorporated into the design and layout of the scheme or will require formal diversion. This will also connect the site into Footpath Geldeston FP8, which runs south to Kings Dam.

5.11. The site will require a comprehensive approach to landscaping, reflecting the fact that there is only existing development on the northern boundary. Whilst largely contained in the wider landscape, the more localised impacts development could be significant. A landscaping scheme has been agreed for the existing GIL1 allocation (application ref. 2019/1013) and consideration will need to be given as to how this is carried forward under proposals for this allocation. The western boundary of the site has some established vegetation that will require protection and enhancement as necessary. Careful consideration will need to be given to the southern and eastern boundaries, which are open to the remainder of the wider field and adjoining paddocks. Particularly important will be consideration of views from the Broads Authority area to the south, at Kings Dam and beyond, and from the public rights of way Geldeston FP8 and Gillingham FP12. Consequently, a full Landscape Assessment will be required to accompany any planning application(s) for the site.

5.12. At the Regulation 18 stage of the VCHAP the site boundaries were drawn further to the east and included areas within Flood Risk Zones 2 and 3a and tidal flooding. Following the outputs of the Stage 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA), the site boundaries were moved further east. However, this also The boundary of the site incorporates areas at both surface and fluvial (Zones 2 and 3a) flood risk in the south-western corner and a remaining small area of tidal flooding in the southeast corner, which it is recommended are left undeveloped. Development of the site will require a site-specific Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and strategy, to inform the layout of the site.

5.13. The developer of the site should also note the proximity of the site to the Internal Drainage District (IDD) of the Waveney, Lower Yare and Lothingland Internal Drainage Board (IDB) and early engagement with the IDB is recommended to secure any relevant consents for the proposed development.

5.14. Anglian Water (AW) has advised that there is currently limited capacity at the Beccles-Marsh Lane Water Recycling Centre (WRC). The developer of the site is recommended to enter into early engagement with Anglian Water in order to demonstrate there is sufficient capacity in the network and receiving WRC to accommodate foul flows from the development.

5.15. The site is immediately south of Gillingham St Michael's Primary School and would landlock the school if developed out in its entirety. The VCHAP proposes 35 40 dwellings on this site and a further 20 within the school catchment at Geldeston (VC GEL1), which would add a modest number of pupils to the school. As both villages also experienced growth under the 2015 Local Plan and Gillingham has other sites that were shortlisted in the VCHAP Regulation 18, which are still being actively promoted, it would be reasonable to expect that there will continue to be growth in the future. As such, the County Council has requested that 0.5ha of land be safeguarded for the expansion of the Primary School, that would facilitate integration with remainder of the site when brought forward.

5.16. The presence of heritage assets with archaeological interest in areas adjacent to the site has been noted by the Historic Environment Service (HES) and the potential for further remains to be found buried on the site has been recorded in response to planning application 2022/1993. The developer of the site will therefore be required to liaise with the HES to determine the need for archaeological surveys prior to development taking place.

5.17. The site is noted as being amber for great crested newt, due to the pond adjacent to the school. The site is also within an SSSI Impact Risk Zone and, as a development of over 10 units, is likely to require consultation with Natural England.

5.18. ~~Although the site is 2.36ha, the allocation is for approximately 35 dwellings,~~ An area of 2.92ha is allocated for approximately 40 dwellings, reflecting the need to safeguard 0.5ha of land for F1(a) use for the Primary School and the need to address flood risk issues.

(2) Policy VC GIL1REV: South of Geldeston Road and Daisy Way

~~2.36ha~~2.92ha of land is allocated for approximately 3540 dwellings.

The developer of the site will be required to ensure:

Vehicular and pedestrian access via Daisy Way;
Pedestrian links to footpaths Geldeston FP8 and FP9 to the west of the site;
Facilitation of the formal diversion of footpath Gillingham FP12, or the incorporation of the formal route into the layout of the site;
A site-specific Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and strategy that has regard to the issues identified in the Stage 2 VC Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA), to inform proposals for the site and preparation of a Flood Warning and Evacuation Plan;
A full Landscape Assessment to inform the scale, form and density of the development, as well as the extent of the protection and enhancement of the existing vegetated boundaries;
0.5ha of land set aside for Use Class F1(a), for future expansion of Gillingham St Michael's Primary School; and
Historic Environment Record is consulted to determine the need for any archaeological surveys prior to the development.

VC GEL1

5.19. The site lies north of Kell's Way, Geldeston, forming an extension of the recently completed development on the 2015 Local Plan Allocation GEL 1 and is well related to the built form of the settlement. The site is well located for the pub, village hall and recreation ground and the bus route between Beccles and Diss.

5.20. There is a single vehicular point of access from the recently completed extension to Kell's Way, which will allow for a continuation of the Type 3 road into the site.

5.21. Careful consideration will need to be given to the scale and density of development, to prevent intrusion into the wider landscape. The site is open to the existing recreation ground to the east, from which there will be views into and out of the site. The site rises from Kell's Way to the northern boundary, and consideration will need to be given to the scale, height and density of development in order to (a) protect the residential amenity of the properties which sit at a lower level and (b) minimise the visual impact of development on the higher parts of the site, particularly from the Broads Authority area to the south. The northern boundary is the highest point of the site, and there will be some views of the site from Old Yarmouth Road; however, this boundary has some established vegetation which will need to be retained and reinforced.

5.22. To the east of the site is the Geldeston Conservation Area, which is focussed on the Tayler and Green 'Kell's Estate' development. This development evolved over many years and worked with the topography of the location to create a clear sense of place. Development of this site should respect the form and layout of the Kell's Estate. The Heritage Impact Statement concluded that there would be no harm to the three Grade II Listed Buildings closest to the site, but that the finds and earthworks identified on the Historic Environment Record mean that investigation will be required prior to development.

5.23. The allocation is for 0.76ha for up to 20 dwellings, an area that is considered to be appropriate to allow for a scheme that addresses the landscape matters noted above, as well as the standard infrastructure requirements.

(1) Policy VC GEL1: North of Kell's Way

0.76ha of land is allocated for up to 20 dwellings.

The developer of the site will be required to ensure:

Vehicular and pedestrian access from Kell's Way;
A Topographical Survey and full Landscape Assessment to inform the scale and density of the development which should: reflect the existing housing within the Conservation Area; address the change in levels of the site; and protect the residential amenity of adjoining houses;
Protection and enhancement of the existing vegetation on the site boundaries, particularly the established vegetation on the Old Yarmouth Road boundary; and
Historic Environment Record is consulted to determine the need for any archaeological surveys prior to the development.

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