Policy VC SPO 3: Land at School Lane

Object

Representation ID: 2667

Received: 03/03/2023

Respondent: mrs veronica grint

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

The policy for this development was originally SP02, which states that a substantial urban drainage system must be included on the site, to stop excess water draining off the site onto the road. This has been omitted from the new SP03. This causes me a great deal of concern, as my property is directly opposite this site. To make matters worse, the attenuation pond is to be placed directly opposite our driveway, on the lowest point of the road, overflowing into a ditch that is blocked, so the water has nowhere to go.

Object

Representation ID: 2726

Received: 05/03/2023

Respondent: Ms Karen Dunn Hughes

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

Strongly Object and very concerned that the new policy wording for SPO3 has omitted two essential safeguarding conditions that are currently an important part of the policy wording in the existing Local Plan. These important safety policy requirements are to provide a pedestrian refuge (footpath) and a sustainable drainage scheme. If these cannot be included due to problems with delivery then it is questionable if the site was sound and fit for purpose in the first place. Public safety is paramount particularly for children walking to school on the highway. The road often floods after a downpour.

Object

Representation ID: 2739

Received: 05/03/2023

Respondent: Dr Simon Findlay

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

The current situation is that the water leaving the ditches along School Lane and the ditch running along the other edge of the field for development, merge to go under the road via a culvert and drain in the ditches in the far field and down to the river. At times of significant rainfall especially in winter the drainage from under the road onwards already cannot cope and the road floods significantly. Developing the field will increase the surface water run off and with no provision to improve the downstream drainage the flooding is will worsen.

Object

Representation ID: 2879

Received: 07/03/2023

Respondent: Dr Richard Hughes

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

With the adoption of SPO3, all new planning applications would comply to the new policy wording. I am concerned that the provision of improved pedestrian access (footpath) from the site to the school has been removed despite the increased safety risks to pedestrians walking on the highway amongst moving vehicles.
The SPO3 wording for a sustainable drainage scheme has also been removed. The current network of surface water ditches and drains have little flow, retain water and flood onto the highway and surrounding land. It is essential that the wording is not removed in recognition of the flood hazard.

Object

Representation ID: 2997

Received: 08/03/2023

Respondent: Spooner Row Community Council

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

Reinstate conditions as previously given in SP02

Re visit question of pedestrian safety and viable safe passage via footpath or other

Revaluate flooding risk and drainage of road and land in particular where nearby properties are at risk. Look at evidenced based documents and photographs.

Object

Representation ID: 3140

Received: 03/03/2023

Respondent: Norfolk County Council - Strategic Planning Team

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The current South Norfolk Local Plan includes this site as allocation allocation SPO 2. Requirement 2 of that policy states "Pedestrian refuge should be provided on the western side of School Lane to improve pedestrian access to the school.

The Highway Authority would acknowledge that the site is an existing allocation and consent for 7 dwellings was granted as per 2016/0627.

The current proposed policy VC SPO 3 includes a requirement to ensure "Off-site highway works to include improvements to the provision for pedestrian safety in the immediate area of the development site, details of which to be agreed with the Highways Authority and the LPA." The less specific policy requirement is noted.

The ability of the development to provide suitable measures to make it acceptable to the Highway Authority has not been demonstrated.

Notwithstanding the earlier allocation, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, it is considered that School Lane is substandard in nature, without scope for development to provide appropriate highway improvements. Should the existing permission expire, the Highway Authority would not wish to support re-allocation of site.

Support

Representation ID: 3264

Received: 03/03/2023

Respondent: Norfolk Wildlife Trust

We welcome the policy wording for hedgerows/trees in Policy VC ROC. We recommend that similar policy wording is applied to the policies listed below to ensure this approach is applied consistently across the Local Plan. Where removal of a tree or any part of a hedgerow is unavoidable, we recommend that policy wording includes reference to mitigation measures, reflecting the updated biodiversity duty required in the 2021 Environment Act to have regard to the enhancement of biodiversity.
VC BB1, VC BRE1, VC HAL2, VC SWA2, VC NEE1, VC WOR2, VC NEW2, VC SPO3, VC TAS1, VC BUR1, VC WIN1.