Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan - Reg. 19 Pre-submission Addendum
7. Rockland St Mary, Hellington and Holverston
Form and character
Rockland St Mary
7.1. Development is concentrated along The Street with a small, detached cluster of development at Rockland Staithe to the east of the village, and an isolated group of houses to the west at The Oaks, Bramerton Lane. A small number of individual dwellings and farmsteads are widely dispersed throughout the remainder of the parish. The village has developed a linear settlement form based along Rookery Hill and The Street. It has experienced some limited estate development, particularly at the eastern end of the village adjacent to Surlingham Lane together with some infill development.
7.2. The village is set on the Yare Valley, in close proximity to the Broads, with a smaller tributary valley to the south, which together with good views from within the built-up area of the surrounding landscape and the good tree and hedge planting throughout, give the village a pleasant rural character. Most of the parish to the east of the village, including Rockland Staithe, lies within the Broads Authority area. Bramerton Lane / Rockland Road (C202) which meets the A146 at Trowse provides a relatively quick link to Norwich and the A47. Run Lane links to the A146 at Hellington Corner.
Hellington
7.3. The parish is very rural in character consisting of a few individual dwellings and farms, with isolated clusters of development at Hellington Corner and Hellington Hill. The A146 runs through the south of the settlement providing a good link to Norwich.
Holverston
7.4. The parish is sparsely populated consisting of a few individual dwellings and farms all set in open countryside. The A146 runs through the south of the parish providing a good road link to Norwich.
Services and Community Facilities
7.5. Rockland St Mary has a range of social, recreational and community facilities including a primary school, shop, post office, pub, GP surgery, village hall and recreation field. Rockland St Mary also has a regular bus service to Norwich. Facilities elsewhere in the cluster are limited, although there are two farm shops in Holverston.
Settlement Limit
Rockland
7.6. The Settlement Limit has been drawn to include the main built form of the settlement along The Street, as well as along School Lane and development around Surlingham Lane on Bee-Orchid Way. The boundary is close to but does not adjoin the Broads Authority area.
Holverston and Hellington
7.7. There is currently no Settlement Limit in Holverston and Hellington.
Site allocations
VC ROC1
7.8. Rockland St Mary is a predominantly linear village, located in close proximity to the Broads National Park. The site lies to the east of the village, in closest proximity to the Broads area, and as such is within the transitional landscape around this sensitive area. Rockland St Mary is served by a number of services and facilities including public house, village hall and separate Parish Room and a local store. Rockland St Mary Primary School is located to the west of the village.
7.9. Originally promoted for allocation as two separate parcels of land the site VCROC1 is allocated as one site in order to maximise the benefits of housing delivery, and as such a single scheme is required with no artificial subdivision of the site.
7.10. To the north and west of the site is Eel Catcher Close, a modest linear development set back from the road frontage. Also to the west of the site is Old Hall, a Grade II farmhouse, and its associated former outbuildings which are now also in residential use. Agricultural land lies further to the north and to the south, with a small cluster of development to the east separated from the site by a parcel of agricultural land.
7.11. A Public Right of Way (PROW) runs parallel to the east boundary of the site (Rockland St Mary FP3) whilst Rockland St Mary FP2 extends to the north of the site on the opposite side of New Inn Hill.
7.12. The site is within a sensitive location at a crest in the landscape and will require careful design and landscaping to contain the visual impact. Furthermore, both PROWs have clear views towards the site and landscaping of the site will need to take into consideration the visual impact of the development from these vantage points. The site layout should also take into consideration the existing mature trees adjacent to the eastern boundary and it will be necessary to protect these trees during the construction phase of development. These trees are subject to a Tree Preservation Order. Developers will be required to submit an appropriate Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) as part of the detailed planning application and site developers are strongly recommended to liaise with the Broads Authority early in the site planning process in order to ensure appropriate viewpoints are considered at the detailed design stage.
(3)
7.13. Vehicular access into the site may result in the loss of the mature oak tree on the site frontage. The however the retention of this tree should be explored as part of the detailed design process. The Highways Authority has confirmed that necessary highway works will include the provision of a footpath along the site frontage, connecting to the short length of footpath alongside Eel Catcher Close and then to the existing footpath provision north of The Street. An opportunity exists to provide a second footpath/cycle connection between the south-west corner of the site and The Street, to the east of Old Hall Barn and Hayloft. This should be incorporated into the site layout to maximise pedestrian/cycle connectivity of the site and should be of appropriate design and constructed of materials that to reflect its proximity to the designated heritage asset. An informal footpath is currently in evidence across the site, connecting FP3 to the existing pedestrian footpaths in the village and the development of this site should retain that link.
(2) 7.14. A cluster of Grade II heritage assets lie to the west of the allocation, separated from the site by an existing field access. This group of buildings comprises former agricultural outbuildings as well as the original farmhouse, Old Hall. To preserve a link between these buildings and the wider agricultural land an area of open space, laid out in a manner which respects the setting of these heritage assets, will be retained in the western section of the site. This will enable long views both from- and towards the listed buildings across the agricultural land. An appropriate layout for the remainder of the site will be required to avoid the enclosure of the listed buildings.
7.15. Archaeological finds have been recorded within the local area and may extend closer to the site. Liaison with the Historical Environment Service will be required as part of the planning application process to determine the requirement for further archaeological investigation.
7.16. The site is located in an area identified as being within Groundwater Source Protection Zone 3. Site developers will be required to liaise with the Environment Agency to ensure that water quality is not adversely affected however this does not preclude development of the site.
7.17. The Minerals and Waste Authority has also 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.
7.18. The site is within the catchment of Whitlingham Water Recycling Centre (WRC) and the in-combination effects with development identified in the GNLP may require phasing of this site beyond the early years of the Plan. and early Early engagement with Anglian Water is recommended.
7.19. An area of 1.47ha is allocated for approximately 25 dwellings. This is considered to be an appropriate density to reflect those matters identified above, and in particular the landscape and heritage sensitivities noted. sensitivity of the wider area.
(5) Policy VC ROC1: Land south of New Inn Hill
1.47ha of land is allocated for approximately 25 dwellings.
The developer of the site will be required to ensure that:
- A Landscape and Visual Impact Appraisal is submitted as part of the detailed planning application to identify the impact of development on the landscape, particularly the Broads Authority Area, and to inform the scale, layout and design of development;
- Protection of the mature trees to the east of the site, including during the construction phase of development;
- Appropriate landscaping and boundary treatments along the north, east and south boundaries of the site to minimise the visual impact of the development in the landscape;
- On- and off-site highways works to include a pedestrian footway across the site frontage to connect to the existing pedestrian footway to the west of the site, as well as a secondary pedestrian access to the east of Old Hall Barn and providing a linkage to the local footpath network;
- An area of open space which respects the setting of the heritage assets to be retained in the western section of the site, to preserve long views between the group of listed buildings and the agricultural land to the south; and
- Historic Environment Record to be consulted to determine the need for any archaeological surveys prior to development.
Early engagement with Anglian Water regarding the need to phase development within the catchment of Whitlingham Water Recycling Centre.
VC ROC2
7.20. The site lies south of The Street, to the rear of the GP Surgery and existing dwellings. The site is close to the main services and facilities in the village, as well as the peak time bus service to Norwich.
7.21. In its current form there is no suitable direct vehicular access to the site from The Street that could be used to serve the allocation. Options have been considered by the site promoter and the preferred access uses an upgrade of the existing field access between 24 and 26 The Street. This will require improvement along the length of the access to provide at least a Type 6 road to the Highway Authority's standards, and to create suitable visibility splays within the Highway Authority's control. These improvements will be sufficient to serve up to 25 dwellings. The Highway Authority also wishes to see improved pedestrian facilities on The Street, between the site access and the footway outside 34 The Street.
7.22. Whilst the site extends behind what is principally frontage development on The Street, the effect is partly mitigated by School Lane and St Margaret's Way to the west, which have development in depth, and the long and heavily vegetated gardens of the plots to the east. The site is visually well contained from The Street and by the existing vegetation to the east, but careful consideration will need to be given to the remaining boundaries, which will be largely to open agricultural fields. Proposals will need to both visually contain the development and integrate the site with the wider countryside, taking into account any views from footpath Rockland St MaryFP4/Hellington FP3 to the south-east. Proposals will also need to protect those trees and hedgerows which border the site, albeit that many lie outside the site itself.
7.23. The site is identified as being with Groundwater Protection Zone 3, which would not preclude development, but early liaison with the Environment Agency regarding the protection of water quality is recommended.
7.24. The site is within the catchment of Whitlingham Water Recycling Centre (WRC) and the in-combination effects with development identified in the GNLP may require phasing of this site beyond the early years of the Plan. Similarly, early consultation indicated that there may be sewers crossing the site, and therefore early engagement with Anglian Water is also advised.
Policy VC ROC2: South of The Street
1.33ha of land is allocated for up to 25 dwellings.
The developer of the site will be required to ensure:
Access from The Street, suitable for up to 25 dwellings;Footway connections from the site providing access to nearby footways on the south side of The Street;Landscaping which visually contains the site and integrates it with the wider countryside to the south;Protection of the trees and hedges on the site boundaries, including those outside of the site itself;Early engagement with Anglian Water regarding the need to phase development within the catchment of Whitlingham Water Recycling Centre.
