South Norfolk Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan (Reg. 19 Pre-submission Draft)

Support

Representation ID: 2802

Received: 06/03/2023

Respondent: Bunwell Parish Council

Bunwell has an ideal windfall site GNLP 2126 of 0.52 hectares which is conveniently placed in the village centre. The Settlement Limit passes across one third of the site. Given the above consultation statement, this would have been a good opportunity to reposition the Settlement Limit to the site borders for future development opportunities of the entire site. Other than three developed sites, no ‘provision’ whatsoever appears to have been made to the village limits and we would question the soundness of the Settlement Limit assessments by not doing so.

Object

Representation ID: 2803

Received: 06/03/2023

Respondent: Bunwell Parish Council

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

We currently have two 2015 Site Specific Allocations in Bunwell with eleven 4/5 bedroom detached houses and only four 3 bedroom detached houses. Due to the high value of these properties, they are being purchased by retired couples and WFH professionals with no demands being placed upon developers for more competitively priced 2/3 bedroom houses. If National Framework targets are to be achieved, local planners must demand this of developers, in addition to Affordable. Also allow increased numbers of windful housing numbers where needed.

Object

Representation ID: 2804

Received: 06/03/2023

Respondent: Bunwell Parish Council

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

SNC must ensure the right number and mix of dwellings in addition to the Cluster Sites around primary schools. With electric vehicles coming on stream more and more, car pollution will be of reducing concern. Primary schools and their locations should not be to the exclusion of more windfall sites outside of these locations and settlement limits, where they are seen of benefit to the village. We appreciate that Affordable Housing is not included in the cap but the 3/5 windfall allocations are insufficient to offer the required choice in the buyer market and to inject the necessary village vitality.

Support

Representation ID: 2805

Received: 06/03/2023

Respondent: Bunwell Parish Council

The Plan only makes allowance for 3–5 windfall dwellings during the Plan period up until 2038 excluding Affordable and some self-build. We consider this insufficient for balanced expansion. Bunwell, as an example, has a serious lack of new 2/3 bedroom houses under market builds which is adversely affecting the primary school intake to the point where a nursery class has now been created. To address the housing needs balance, allocated sites must have a significant number of 2/3 bedroom commercial build houses plus onsite Affordable Housing. Offsite Affordable is an option but it must be in the village concerned

Support

Representation ID: 2806

Received: 06/03/2023

Respondent: Bunwell Parish Council

There is deep concern that sensible windfall housing development in Village Clusters and Non Village Clusters will be constrained to the point where villages may not be allowed to expand as they might wish and need. This could have the detrimental effect of removing beneficial housing opportunities for young families, retirees, local first time buyers and small builders with the consequences of collapsing local infrastructure and local business services. For some villages the suggested figures of 3 – 5 windfall dwellings over the Plan period simply isn’t enough. If the right mix is not achieved the primary schools will suffer.

Support

Representation ID: 2807

Received: 06/03/2023

Respondent: Bunwell Parish Council

We understand the windfall allowance overall is 800 dwellings with a ‘maximum’ of 3/5 dwellings per village. This excludes affordable housing and some self-builds. We question however the 3/5 ‘maximum’ hard and fast figures and consider individual village allowances should allow some flexibility and discretion where an increase is fully justified, even if outside settlement limits.

Support

Representation ID: 2808

Received: 06/03/2023

Respondent: Bunwell Parish Council

We fully support this approach, however, caution needs to be exercised where sites have multiple dwellings planned for potential self-build. Experience has shown that instead of the usual phased roll out with a single developer, the multiple construction of all site dwellings at one time can bring congestion, excessive noise and chaotic conditions to main village thoroughfares and local residents.

Support

Representation ID: 2811

Received: 06/03/2023

Respondent: Bunwell Parish Council

We are concerned that without the necessary attention, action and ongoing vigilance to the points we have detailed above and those stated by South Norfolk Council, we simply shall not realise the required and desired Cluster Village and Non Cluster Village housing in support of our communities and schools.
Re SNVC Objective 2, equally important is the urgent need to address the current significant infrastructure failings which can only get worse if not addressed e.g. the Bunwell mains sewage system. So far the huge development of Wymondham has seen no improvements in vital infrastructure.

Support

Representation ID: 2819

Received: 06/03/2023

Respondent: Bunwell Parish Council

One query. Bunwell has an ideal windfall site GNLP 2126 of 0.52 hectares.
The Settlement Limit currently passes across one third of the site. The original SN VC Site Assessment Form Part 7 concluded it was ‘Reasonable Alternative: Yes’. However, we are now told that the principle concerns for not changing the SL are the trees and retention of the linear form??
'Suitability' stated ‘Potentially just large enough to allocate for 12 dwellings’ and ‘constrained by existing trees which would limit the number of dwellings that could be accommodated below the allocation level’ ?? Why was the SL not changed?

Object

Representation ID: 2825

Received: 06/03/2023

Respondent: Bunwell Parish Council

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

The visual effect of this site should not be underestimated. For Bunwell, it is a significant development when entering the village.
A previous site planning application (2020/1464) was for six large 4/5 bed detached houses. The rear site boundary then was an extension of the adjacent site (2019/1542), which coincides with the Settlement Limit. The rear boundary of BUN 1 has now been further extended back well beyond the settlement limit, increasing the adverse visual appearance as you enter the village and use the footpath FP4.
Opposite this site are the low level Greenways bungalows.