Publication

Amend the text in Policy GNLP0506, and the Settlement Map to include the land 'under the flyover' , and amend the site area for the policy in the text accordingly.

Policy GNLP0506 -Land at and adjoining Anglia Square should also include the land 'under the flyover' on Magdalen Street; whilst this land is in part owned by Norwich City Council, its regeneration should be linked to that of the Anglia Square area which it adjoins.

The full text of the preamble to Policy GNLP0506 should be amended to read as follows:

POLICY GNLP0506: Land at and adjoining Anglia Square
Anglia Square is a 1960s neighbourhood shopping precinct, forming the main part of the large district centre in the north of the city centre. It comprises shop units around a public square which provide a popular convenience retail offer, above which a series of buildings in poor condition, built as public parking, leisure venues and offices, are now all vacant other than some meanwhile uses. It adjoins further open sites which were cleared and never redeveloped, together with a group of buildings at the Pitt Street and St Crispin’s Road junction, and an area under the flyover fronting Magdalen Street which is little used and of poor appearance. This entire wider site is a major regeneration priority. The capacity of Anglia Square to deliver a significant element of the plan's housing need on a highly accessible brownfield site means that it has strategic significance for Greater Norwich. The Employment, Town Centre and Retail Study (GVA, 2017) acknowledges the considerable potential of Anglia Square to accommodate a much-enhanced facility, with a retail and leisure offer and including extensive public realm improvements. Whilst the retail and leisure markets have continued to evolve since 2017, the aim here is for redevelopment proposals to provide a sufficient quantum of replacement floorspace to retain the site’s position as part of a defined large district centre, complementing the city centre retail offering, whilst avoiding over-provision.
This floorspace should be available for a range of Class E and other main town centre uses, suited to the location and residential upper floors, to be distributed along the Magdalen Street frontage and the principal route from Magdalen Street to St Augustine’s Street. This accommodation should aim to offer the necessary flexibility of uses and unit sizes so as to provide resilience to future market changes.
Development of the site must address a number of constraints including its location within the City Centre Conservation Area, the Area of Main Archaeological Interest, and the critical drainage catchment area; its relationship with neighbouring statutory and locally listed buildings; the site ground conditions; its prominent location at gateways to the city, the need for removal of the derelict and long-term vacant buildings from the site, for increased greenery, and for enhanced transport infrastructure in the vicinity and pedestrian and cycling permeability through the site, linking to the surrounding area. A noise impact assessment and air quality assessment will be required, and the development must be designed to mitigate the impact of noise from the surrounding main roads within the dwellings in any scheme.

There is an expectation that the site should be able to accommodate in the region of 800 homes, although a higher number would be acceptable if a scheme demonstrates that the site constraints can be successfully addressed. The City Centre affordable housing requirement should apply unless demonstrated to be unviable. Even in such circumstances, a meaningful proportion of the dwellings must be affordable, although the precise level will need to be the subject of detailed viability assessment. All redevelopment proposals will also provide a mix of affordable tenures consistent with identified needs at the time of submission of a planning application.

The detailed background and description of Anglia Square, along with the strategic objectives for its regeneration would benefit from clarification, updating and greater comprehensiveness. The full text for the preamble to Policy GNLP0506 - Land at an adjoining Anglia Square - is set out below. This covers all the paragraphs in the preamble, not just the first. Accordingly, representations are not made on the preamble paragraphs that follow the first. Separate representations are made in respect of the actual text proposed for Policy GNLP0506.

Please refer to representation submitted in respect of Policy GNLP0506 paragraph 2.72

Please refer to representation submitted in respect of Policy GNLP0506 paragraph 2.72

Please refer to representation submitted in respect of Policy GNLP0506 paragraph 2.72

Please refer to representation submitted in respect of Policy GNLP0506 paragraph 2.72

Policy GNLP0506 text should be amended as follows:

POLICY GNLP0506
Land at and adjoining Anglia Square, Norwich (approx. 4.79 hectares) [NOTE: TO BE INCREASED TO INCLUDE LAND UNDER THE FLYOVER] is allocated for residential-led, mixed-use redevelopment as the focus for an enhanced and improved large district centre and to act as a catalyst for wider investment and redevelopment within the Northern City Centre strategic regeneration area as defined in policy 7.1 of this plan.
The site will deliver in the region of 800 homes, with a higher figure acceptable subject to demonstration that the site constraints are successfully addressed.

The redevelopment will be expected to achieve, subject to investigation and justification of viability implications, the following site-specific requirements:
1. A comprehensive, mixed use regeneration scheme which can include residential development, student accommodation, retail units contributing to the Magdalen Street/Anglia Square/St Augustine’s Street large district centre, suitable main town centre uses, offices and flexible workspace, hotel, leisure and hospitality uses and community facilities as part of a balanced mix;
2. A sufficient retail and leisure offer to support the local community and the large district centre;
3. Removal of the derelict and long-term vacant buildings from the site, including Sovereign House and the existing multi-storey car park;
4. Provision of levels of replacement high quality car parking that are the minimum necessary to serve the requirements of the future residents and the large district centre;
5. Achievement of high quality, locally distinctive and energy efficient design with scope for:
a) a landmark building or buildings providing a new gateway or focal point for the Northern City Centre and
b) a mobility hub featuring shared transport services (buses, car club and bike share) centred on Magdalen Street in the vicinity of the flyover to promote use of sustainable transport modes by residents, visitors and other users;
c) public realm improvements incorporating an attractive and vibrant link between Magdalen Street and St Augustine’s Street, as part of legible and user-friendly streets and public spaces throughout the site and on its Magdalen Street frontage, (including land under the flyover), thereby providing significant improvements in pedestrian and cycle connectivity and permeability across the site north-south and east-west, with improved integration to the surrounding network.
6. All buildings sited and scaled to conserve and enhance the significance of heritage assets and their settings, including the City Centre Conservation Area and nearby listed buildings at Magdalen Street, Doughty’s Hospital, Doughty’s Cottages, St Augustine’s Street (including grade I listed Church of St Augustine), and Gildencroft;,
7. High quality landscaping, planting and biodiversity enhancements;

8. A satisfactory residential internal noise environment within the scheme via necessary mitigation of noise from the surrounding main roads and the proposed mix of uses, as demonstrated via a noise impact assessment;
9. Satisfactory air quality within the development for all sensitive receptors and also in terms of the scheme’s impact on surrounding sensitive receptors as demonstrated by an air quality assessment
10. Heritage interpretation measures to be incorporated in accordance with Policy 3 of this plan.
A continuing retail offer within Anglia Square is sought throughout the redevelopment process, which must be demonstrated as part of details of the phasing of the works to be agreed with the lpa.

Policy GNLP0506 needs to be amended in line with the suggested revised preamble set out in the representations for paragraph 2.72, and for clarity and conciseness.

Include land 'under the flyover' on Magdalen Street within Policy GNLP0506 Land at and adjoining Anglia Square.

Please refer to representation submitted in respect of Settlement Map Policy GNLP0506.

Section 2 paragraph 58 should be amended if it is the case that within Norwich City Centre, the highest requirement for general market housing is not 3 bed homes, but, (if the case), smaller homes.

Section 2 paragraph 58 needs to indicate whether "the highest requirement for general market housing is for 3 bed homes" is universally applicable across the GNLP area, or, whether it does not apply in Norwich City Centre, where demand for smaller units may be likely to be the largest group, as per Section 3 paragraph 135, which distinguishes Norwich City Centre.

Policy 7.1 - The Northern City Centre: - paragraphs 316 - 324 should be amended as follows: (intervening paragraphs with no change are indicated as such, but included in order to assist comprehension of the suggested wording):
NOTE: In view of this comprehensive representation on Policy 7.1, no further representations are lodged in respect of each of the paragraphs noted here for amendment.

316
Anglia Square, is a 1960s neighbourhood shopping precinct, forming the main part of the large district centre in the north of the city centre. It adjoins further open sites which were cleared and never redeveloped, together with a group of buildings at the Pitt Street and St Crispin’s Road junction, and an area under the flyover fronting Magdalen Street which is little used and of poor appearance. This entire wider site is also a major regeneration priority. The capacity of this wider site focussed on Anglia Square to deliver a significant element of the plan’s housing need on a highly accessible brownfield site means that it has strategic significance for Greater Norwich. The Employment, Town Centre and Retail Study (GVA, 2017) acknowledges the considerable potential of Anglia Square to accommodate a much-enhanced retail and leisure facility, including extensive public realm improvements. However, the needs of the retail and leisure markets have already since evolved, and are likely to continue to change. Accordingly the appropriate quantum and range of uses of replacement floorspace cannot be accurately identified at this time, although both must be sufficient to retain the site’s position as part of a defined large district centre, complementing the city centre retail offering.

317

The policy therefore promotes high density, housing-led mixed-use redevelopment of Anglia Square and surrounding vacant land. Redevelopment proposals should also include retailing, employment, community and leisure facilities as identified to meet emerging market needs.

318 (no change)

Regeneration of Anglia Square is also intended to be the catalyst for substantial investment in, and further regeneration of, the wider northern city centre. As a result, the whole of the northern city centre area as defined in map 9 is identified on the Key Diagram as a Strategic regeneration area.

319 (no change)

The northern city centre has been declared a neighbourhood area for planning purposes. This policy provides the strategic context for any more detailed plans for the area.

320

Anglia Square has been subject to several comprehensive mixed-use regeneration proposals over many years, the most recent of which Norwich City Council resolved to approve in December 2018. The Secretary of State “called-in” the application for determination and refused it notwithstanding a recommendation to approve it. The decision gives considerable comfort that medium to high density residential led mixed-use development in this location is appropriate and should be part of this plan. The previous scheme required support to be viable for delivery. It is likely that any future scheme will also require public support to ensure implementation.

321 (no change)

To provide strategy on the wide range of planning issues affecting the city centre, the remainder of the city centre element of the policy is divided into six sections on: the economy; retail and main town centre uses; leisure, culture, entertainment and the visitor economy; housing; the natural and built environment and access and transportation.

322

The policy seeks to attract and retain employment in the city centre by boosting employment sectors identified by evidence in the GVA study as having most growth potential, in particular knowledge based and digital creative industries, providing for a suitable range and choice of employment premises particularly in locations which are well related to transport hubs, offer good linkages with existing and expanding business networks and provide high value employment opportunities as part of the regeneration of key sites and areas. A key part of retaining employment in the city centre will be to reverse the significant loss of office employment, although this aim does not apply to the Northern City Centre Anglia Square site (Policy GNLP0506, where redundant office buildings are to be replaced by residential-led regeneration). To this end the city centre policy provides the basis for the subsequent introduction of an Article 4 direction or directions to manage the loss of office floorspace in relevant locations, and ensure a supply of suitable sites and premises for the key city centre employment growth sectors, most particularly digital and creative industries.

323 (no change)

Retail and other main town centre uses policy set out in policy 7.1 provides flexibility and recognises the trend for changing uses and functions in city centres. The aim is to ensure the centre provides an attractive location in which people can experience a complementary range of different uses, services and activities, including retailing. The Norwich City Centre Retail Strategy prepared by the Norwich Business Improvement District endorses this approach. It acknowledges that a vibrant, diverse and accessible offer providing a range of different experiences for the visitor, alongside promotion of a strong and distinctive sense of place and identity, will be key to the long-term economic success of Norwich city centre.

324

Policy 6 places the city centre retail area at the top of the retail hierarchy, with the large district centres at Riverside and at Anglia Square, Magdalen Street and St. Augustine's Street providing a complementary role and meeting more day to day needs. The extent of, and more detailed policies for, the city centre retail area, and the primary and secondary retail areas within it, along with the large district centres, are set out in existing development management policies

325 (no change)

The GVA study floorspace calculates that 11,000-15,000 square metres of additional comparison retail floorspace will be required in the Norwich urban area by 2027. However, in the light of potentially rapid further changes in comparison retailing it is premature to allocate any new retail sites. This will be revisited in the review of the plan when the future of retailing becomes clearer. The study forecasts no significant need for additional convenience retail floorspace by 2027.

326 - 332 (no change)

Policy 7.1 The Northern City Centre: the text would benefit from a number of amendments / corrections / additions to better set its context and the regeneration objectives, to align with Policy GNLP0506, as proposed via the representations submitted on behalf of Weston Homes. Clarification is also needed that the objective to preserve office accommodation within the city centre, potentially via an Article 4 Direction in respect of permitted development changes of use to residential, would not apply to the Policy GNLP0506 Land at and adjoining Anglia Square site, where redevelopment of redundant office buildings for residential use is welcomed.