Publication

Acle Parish Council supports the requirement for 33% affordable housing on new sites.

Land needs to be earmarked for future expansion of Acle Academy, and protected as such.
The development risks affecting the environmental importance of the track from Mill Lane in Acle to The Windle. Norfolk County Council's Environmental Policy states that there is a principle of an "environmental net gain" for any development. Currently this track goes across open fields, and is a popular walk for local residents. This would not been the same if the track crosses a housing estate!
In general, housing numbers need to be carefully planned, and villages supported to integrate new housing and new residents. Acle's sewerage system is recorded by Anglian Water as being above capacity already.
There is no access to the eastbound A47 from the west of the village so any new housing will result in a large increase in traffic along the narrow main street. A sliproad onto A47 is required to support larger housing numbers.
The proposal for Acle includes a link road from South Walsham Road to Norwich Road. This is welcomed and must be made a condition on any additional housing. However, without the sliproad onto A47, this will only help to remove some of the traffic from the village.

Broadland District Council's Statement of Community Involvement (2016) has not been complied with. Acle Parish Council and Acle residents were consulted on a proposal for an additional 200 homes. Despite many objections to this proposal for 200 new homes, the current Reg 19 document proposes 340 new homes, without having consulted on these additional 140 homes.
The proposal for the 340 homes on land to the west of the village was posted on the Reg 18 consultation as an attachment to a message of support from the landowner, so no one saw it...

Improve public transport links to places other than the centre of Norwich.
Build the station at the Postwick park and ride to allow people to get off the train and get the bus into Norwich and people to park at Postwick and get the bus to Yarmouth...
Subsidise park and ride to make the cost more appealing. At the moment the cost is not significantly low to make it worth the wait in the cold for the bus.
Insist on larger gardens for new homes and more open spaces for play on estates.
Provide more parking for new homes.

The plans are flawed. By placing such emphasis on the public transport available in larger villages and towns, you ignore the fact that the bus takes you into central Norwich, but it is then very difficult to get to any out of town employment centres, so everyone drives their car instead. The plans talk about reducing car parking on housing estates but then everyone has two cars and parks them across the pavements
Also, by requiring a high density for new housing, private gardens are too small, resulting in families driving around Norfolk to get some fresh air.

The minimum quality for new homes needs to be specified and made legally enforceable.

Where is the proof that high quality homes are being built? Recent new homes in Acle were built to a low standard and have flooded twice in heavy rain.

Reduce the density of new housing
Provide more parking for new housing
Provide more parking on estates for visitors and tradespeople

The proposed density for new housing in Acle is not appropriate. The gardens are too small, resulting in people getting into their cars to travel to green space for recreation. The roads are too narrow, especially when people park on the pavements, because of inadequate parking. Parking also needs to be provided for visitors and tradespeople.

Public transport links need to be improved to out of town locations.
More public transport is needed for rural areas and smaller villages.
Car share schemes could be encouraged.

Where is the evidence for this major shift away from private cars? Norfolk is a large, mostly rural county, with many villages with no public transport. These residents will still be driving to work. Public transport links only work in and out of town/city centres. Public transport is slow from, say Acle, into Norwich and the out to a business park. Much easier to drive!

Improve public transport for rural areas and smaller villages.
Improve walking and cycling routes into Norwich centre away from roads.

Where is the evidence for this claim. Queuing traffic causes pollution on all the access roads into Norwich. Residents who live in rural areas and smaller villages have no choice but to drive into larger towns and the city.

Re-consult

There was no consultation on the 340 new homes. The consultation was only for 200 homes. The SCI has not been complied with. Many objections were made by residents for the 200 homes.

Include one hectare of good quality open space in any plans for housing, as well a new allocation of open public space for the new homes, on a site that is easily accessible for local residents and on level land (ie not including the slopes of the valley)
Link this to the public right of way from Mill Lane to provide enhanced protection for this important environmental space.

Planning permission for the allocation ACL1 conditioned a hectare of public open space to be provided near to the site. The proposed housing allocation for 340 homes is where this open space was promised.

Reduce the number of homes to take the flood risk into account.

The land is at risk of flooding from the nearby reservoir