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

Confirmation needs to be provided that development outside the proposed Settlement Limit for Roydon that will contribute to the coalescence of Roydon and Diss will not be supported.

The Settlement Limit for Roydon as shown on the Roydon Plan (December 2022) is fully supported. However, it is is contrary to the Proposed Diss & District Neighbourhood Plan, which proposes development outside the Settlement Boundary.

As shown, the Settlement Limit would retain the strategic gap between Diss and Roydon, avoiding the threat of further coalescence. As detailed in the Site Options and Assessment Report prepared by Aecom (dated December 2020) to inform the preparation of the Diss & District Neighbourhood Plan, development in this location would further reduce the gap between Roydon and Diss and "contribute to the coalescence with Diss". It is considered that development in this location would have a significant environmental affect due to it's impact on the landscape setting of the gap between Roydon and Diss.

Failure to adhere to the proposed Settlement Boundary i.e. the allocation of land outside the Settlement Limit that would contribute to the coalescence of Diss and Roydon, would be contrary to Policy 2 of the emerging Greater Norwich Local Plan that requires that development proposals maintain the strategic gaps.

On this basis, whilst the proposed Settlement Limit for Roydon is generally supported, it is only on the basis that land is not allocated within the Diss & District Neighbourhood Plan that is contrary to the objectives of the Settlement Boundary i.e. to maintain the separation of Roydon and Diss. Failure to do this would result in the Plan being unsound on the basis that it does not represent an appropriate strategy and, therefore, is not justified.