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

6. Mulbarton, Bracon Ash, Swardeston and East Carleton

Form and Character

Mulbarton

6.1. Historically Mulbarton developed with buildings mainly clustered around the junctions at three corners of the Common, with further dwellings to the west of the Common. More recently, estate development has taken place on a large scale to the south of The Common which has altered the form and character of the village at the south end. However, as a result of past planning policies, The Common and its setting has otherwise remained largely preserved as an undeveloped space in the centre of the village and is important in terms of both visual amenity and recreation opportunities. There has been little development on the edges of The Common to its east and west in order to preserve its connections to the surrounding countryside, drawing the countryside into the 'core' of the village.

6.2. There is also preserved open farmland between the B1113, the western edge of new residential areas south of The Common and the settlement of Bracon Ash which contributes to the rural setting of the village.

6.3. The view of the church, north of The Common, is prominent from all parts of The Common. The special character of this area with the church, the hall and the historic barn has been recognised by the designation of a Conservation Area in 1977, which was extended in 1994.

Bracon Ash

6.4. The parish of Bracon Ash lies to the south-west of Mulbarton on the B1113. There are three distinct settlement groupings, including the area around the church and the area at Hethel. The main settlement has developed in a linear fashion along The Street, Hawkes Lane and Poorhouse Lane and comprises mainly frontage properties. It is separated from Mulbarton by agricultural land to the south of Cuckoofield Lane which contributes to its individual identity. Within the village, there is an important gap to the north of Mergate Farm, which maintains the segregation between the farm and the village. The B1113 gives reasonable access via the A140 to Norwich. 

Swardeston

6.5. 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.

6.6. 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.

East Carleton

6.7. The parish is predominately rural with the main settlement having developed with frontage properties along Rectory Road, Hethersett Road and Wymondham Road.

Services and Community Facilities

6.8. Mulbarton possesses a good range of facilities which includes a surgery, pharmacy, two shops, a post office, village hall, recreation field, several takeaway restaurants, the primary school and preschool facilities. There is also a regular bus service to Norwich and a daily service to Diss and East Harling. Swardeston also benefits from the former and Bracon Ash from the latter service. Elsewhere in the cluster there are various local employment opportunities, and both Swardeston and Bracon Ash have village halls. has a village hall.

Settlement Limit

Mulbarton and Bracon Ash

6.9. The Settlement Limit has been drawn to include the main built form of the settlement and include the allocated land. The village hall, Old Hall Farm and the church and rectory are excluded, but there are further small clusters of development with boundaries at the north and west of the common. An amendment has been made to include recent development at Long Four Acre Avenue (2017/2131). In Bracon Ash, development at Poorhouse Lane, The Street and Hawkes Lane are included. However, the triangular area of land used as a green, Mergate Farm and the small cluster of dwellings off Mergate Lane have been excluded. Infill development opportunities have been created at The Rosery and Norwich Road in Mulbarton and at Hawkes Lane and the nurseries in Bracon Ash. Recent development at Nursery Close (2017/2807) has been incorporated into the updated Settlement Limit.

Swardeston

6.10. 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

VC MUL1

6.11. The site is located to the east of the village, adjacent to the existing estate development at Bluebell Road. Overall the settlement is well served by existing facilities and amenities and development in this location will benefit from pedestrian connectivity to all of these. Key services, including Mulbarton Primary School, the GP surgery, local retail outlets and bus stops connecting to Norwich, are located within 1km of the site. The site is located in the south-east corner of a significantly larger agricultural field that lies between The Rosery to the south and Rectory Lane to the north. There are two Public Rights of Way within close proximity of the site – Mulbarton FP10 to the north and Mulbarton FP11 to the south. To the east and south of the site is existing residential development of varying density and form.

6.12. Mulbarton Neighbourhood Plan 2015-2030 sets out the community aspirations for new development within the village, including the preferred locations for new development being centred around The Common. Following assessment of all sites submitted for consideration as part of the allocation process it became clear that those sites that may be considered acceptable in accordance with Policy HOU1 of the Mulbarton Neighbourhood Plan (Location of New Residential Development) raised a number of other concerns including heritage, landscape, access and accessibility, and were therefore not suitable for allocation. Whilst VC MUL1 falls outside the area defined as the 'Heart of the Village' in the Neighbourhood Plan it relates well to the existing settlement and is considered to acceptable in all other respects.

6.13. Development on VC MUL1 will represent a limited break-out to the east of the existing settlement. However, the development will be viewed in the context of the existing residential development to the east along Bluebell Road, as well as the lower density development on the opposite side of The Rosery to the south. As such the visual impact of VC MUL1 within the wider landscape will be limited particularly with careful consideration given to the boundary treatments and landscaping along key boundaries. At present a significant hedgerow with established trees forms the southern boundary of the site along The Rosery. To maintain the rural character of The Rosery vegetation must be protected and retained as part of any scheme for the site and furthermore should be reinforced as required. Similarly, existing established trees along the western boundary of the site should be retained and protected during the construction phase of development to improve the integration of the site with the existing development.

6.14. Vehicular and pedestrian access to the site will be possible from the east via Bluebell Road only. Discussions with the Highways Authority have identified a number of constraints to The Rosery including the carriageway width and the lack of pedestrian connectivity (with limited opportunities to create a suitable pedestrian route) as precluding alternative access points into the site. Furthermore, the quantum of development already served via the existing Bluebell Road restricts the scale of growth that could be achieved in this location to a maximum of 35 dwellings at this time.

6.15. An area of 1.5ha of land has been allocated for up to 35 dwellings. This is a site area which is considered reasonable to deliver an appropriately designed scheme that responds sensitively to the existing patterns of development (including the variable densities) and incorporates a landscape scheme that will ease the transition for this edge of settlement site, as well as deliver the standard infrastructure requirements expected. 

Policy VC MUL1: Land east of Bluebell Road and north of The Rosery

1.5ha of land is allocated for up to 35 dwellings.

The developer of the site will be required to ensure:

• Vehicular and pedestrian access to the site is via Bluebell Road only in order to preserve existing highway safety along The Rosery;
• The retention, protection and reinforcement of the existing vegetation and trees along the south and west boundaries of the site and the introduction of appropriate boundaries and landscaping to the north and east of the site to reflect the edge of settlement location.

VC SWA1

(1) 6.16. The site is located to the east of the B1113 and to the east of existing residential development fronting Norwich Road. It also lies between the carried forward allocation VC SWA2REV to the north (formerly allocated as SWA1 in the 2015 Local Plan for a lower number of dwellings) to the north and a further residential site to the south (which is a site which is under construction at the time of preparing this plan, planning reference (2014/1642). The site comprises brownfield land formerly occupied by a plant nursery. Redundant greenhouses and a former farm shop remain on the site. Swardeston has some services, including recreation facilities and village hall, and also benefits from the wider range of services and facilities available in Mulbarton. Existing bus stops are to the east and west of the B1113, approximately 260 metres from the site. Bus services frequently connect to Norwich and beyond to the north and Mulbarton to the south. A Public Right of Way (FP6) runs parallel to the east/ south-east boundaries of the site.

6.17. The site boundaries of VC SWA1 have been drawn to provide a good relationship with the permitted and allocated residential sites to the north and south. A contiguous boundary to the east of these sites will contain the development in the wider landscape, minimising the visual impact of the built form whilst also improving the relationship between all three sites. Opportunities to provide pedestrian and vehicular connectivity between the sites should also be explored at the detailed design stage, as should the implications for the overall drainage strategies. Detailed design matters will need to consider the relationship between these developments, providing a form and layout that compliments the adjacent schemes. Existing vegetation along the site boundaries should be retained and enhanced, particularly the mature trees along the north boundary of the site.

6.18. Vehicular access to the site will be via the new access point off the road serving the Bobbins Way development. Some upgrades to the access road may be required, however these details will need to be confirmed with the highways authority as part of the planning application process. An existing continuous footpath links Swardeston with Mulbarton providing pedestrian access between the settlements. The existing footpath is of limited width in some places and some localised off-site highways works may be required to upgrade this link. These details should be agreed with the highways authority at the application stage.

6.19. The Minerals and Waste Authority has identified the site as being underlain, or partially underlain, by safeguarded sand and gravel resources. As such development on the site must comply with the relevant minerals and waste safeguarding policy in the Norfolk Minerals and Waste Local Plan.

6.20. An area of 1 ha has been allocated for approximately 20 dwellings. This is considered to be an appropriate scale of development given the recent and planned development in Swardeston, reflecting the surrounding context and making efficient use of the land whilst also providing adequate space for the standard on-site infrastructure requirements.

(1) Policy VC SWA1: Land off Bobbins Way

1 ha of land is allocated for approximately 20 dwellings.

The developer of the site will be required to ensure the following:

• Vehicular access to the site to be via Bobbins Way;
• Retention and protection of the mature trees along the north boundary of the site, and the introduction of an appropriate boundary to the east of the site to contain it within the landscape and integrate it into the rural context;
• Detailed design and layout of the site to responds to the adjacent residential developments and maximises opportunities for connectivity between the sites; and
• The Historic Environment Record is to be consulted to determine any the need for archaeological surveys prior to development.

VC SWA2REV

6.21. This allocation from the 2015 Local Plan is carried forward within this document to ensure that development on the site continues to be achievable in an appropriate manner. The site lies to the south-east of the junction between Main Road and Gowthorpe Lane, At the time of preparing this Plan no application had been submitted on the site, however there is ongoing interest in pursuing development. The site lies to the south-east of the junction between Main Road and Gowthorpe Lane, in a gateway position at the entrance to the village. The B1113 lies to the west of the site, running alongside the site frontage north-south. Immediately to the south of the site is a small retail unit beyond which is a group of established trees, as well as land and buildings associated with a former plant nursery. VC SWA1 is immediately to the south of VC SWA2REV, with recent development also having taken place at Bobbins Way which is also located south of the site. On the opposite side of the B1113 are detached two-storey dwellings, typically set back from the road frontage within generous plots.

6.22. Swardeston has some services, including recreational facilities and a village hall, and also benefits from the wider range of services and facilities available in Mulbarton. Existing bus stops are to the east and west of the B1113, immediately adjacent to the site. Bus services frequently connect to Norwich and beyond to the north and Mulbarton to the south. A Public Right of Way (Swardeston FP6) runs parallel to the eastern boundary of the site.

6.23. The site lies immediately north of VC SWA1 and opportunities to deliver connectivity between the sites, as well as a coherent approach to the landscaping of the eastern boundaries of the two sites, should be explored. Developers of the sites are encouraged to consider a coordinated approach to address these issues; however, should the sites progress separately, there will be an expectation that these matters have been clearly considered in the site layout and design at the planning application stage. This coordination will contain the development in the wider landscape, minimising the visual impact of the built form whilst also improving the relationship between all three sites.

6.24. The site is also in a prominent location at the entrance to the village from the north and the design and layout of the site should reflect this, taking the opportunity to reinforce the existing 30mph speed limit. Off-site highways improvement works will include the extension of the existing pedestrian footpath along the site frontage to improve connectivity to the village and nearby recreational routes.

6.25. Adjacent to the south-west of the site is an established group of trees as well as an established hedgerow. Although these lie outside the site boundaries these features should, as far as possible, be protected, retained and enhanced, including during the construction period. To the north-west of the site, on the opposite side of the B1113, is Swardeston Common, a designated County Wildlife Site (CWS). The developer of the site will be required to consider the ecological impact of new development on this CWS as part of their proposals for the site, in accordance with the relevant guidance and policies in place at the time of the planning application.

6.26. The site is identified as being underlain, or partially underlain, by safeguarded sand and gravel resources. As such development on the site must comply with the relevant minerals and waste safeguarding policy in the Norfolk Minerals and Waste Local Plan.

6.27. VC SWA2REV was previously an allocation for 30 dwellings in the 2015 Local Plan. The site is considered to be suitable for an increased number of dwellings and an area of 2.7ha has been allocated for approximately 40 dwellings. The updated site allocation continues to make efficient use of the land, reflect the surrounding context and retain adequate space for the standard on-site infrastructure requirements.

(3) Policy VC SWA2REV: Land on Main Road

2.7 ha of land is allocated for approximately 3040 dwellings.

The developer of the site is required to ensure the following:

• The provision of a 2.0m wide footway along the site frontage to enable improved connectivity to the village and to nearby recreational routes, andwith opportunities are enabled and retained for connectivity between this site and VC SWA1 to be enabled and retained;
• Design and layout to reflect the prominent location at the gateway to the village, including opportunities to reinforce the 30mph speed limit;
• The Historic Environment Record isto be consulted to determine anythe need for archaeological surveys prior to development; and
• An appropriate boundary treatment to the east of the site, which contains the site in the landscape and integrates it with the rural context. and
• Wastewater infrastructure capacity is confirmed prior to development taking place.

Carried forward allocations

VC BRA1

6.28. This allocation from the 2015 Local Plan is carried forward within this document to ensure that development on the site continues to be achievable in an appropriate manner. An application for 23 dwellings on this site has been submitted (2021/2579) however this site lies within an area impacted by nutrient neutrality and as such at the time of preparing this plan the application is pending determination.

6.29. The site lies to the east of Norwich Road and south of the village hall. There is no physical feature delineating the southern boundary of the site, which is in line with existing development on Hawkes Lane.

Policy VC BRA1: Land at Norwich Road

0.9 hectares of land is allocated for housing and associated infrastructure for approximately 20 dwellings.

The developer of the site is required to ensure the following:

• Highway works to include vehicular access from the B1113 only, and the provision of a pedestrian footpath along the full length of the site frontage.
• Site layout and design to include frontage development along the B1113 to improve highway safety. The site layout and design must also have regard to the setting of the heritage assets Home Farm (to the south-east) and Thatched Cottage (to the north-east of the site);
• A landscaping scheme for the site which reflects the edge of settlement location and includes an appropriate boundary treatment on the southern boundary of the site; and
• Historic Environment Record to be consulted to determine the need for any archaeological surveys prior to development.

In addition, the developer of the site will be required to investigate the need for the following:

• Whether there is a requirement to promote an extension to the existing 30mph Traffic Regulation Order;
• Opportunities to provide off-site improvements to the existing pedestrian network, including the creation of a pedestrian crossing point near to the junction of School Road and The Street, in liaison with the Highways Authority and the Local Planning Authority.