GNLP 2045 Regulation 20 Scoping Consultation

Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 – Scoping Consultation Response
Response submitted by: Bawburgh Parish Council
Consultation: Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 – Scoping Consultation
1. Introduction
Bawburgh Parish Council recognises the need for the GNLP to establish an appropriate framework for meeting future housing and employment needs across Greater Norwich. However, it considers that the capacity of individual settlements to accommodate further growth must be assessed carefully and objectively, having regard to existing infrastructure, environmental constraints, settlement character and the cumulative effects of development.
Bawburgh is a small village with a distinct historic and landscape character and a very limited range of local services and infrastructure. The Parish Council therefore considers it important that the GNLP's evidence base and site-selection methodology properly identify the constraints and capacity of Bawburgh before decisions are made about the scale or location of future development.
The Parish Council's comments at this stage are principally directed towards the scope and adequacy of the evidence base and methodology. We understand that individual sites submitted through the 2026 Call for Sites process have not yet been assessed and that detailed representations concerning individual sites will be invited at a later stage. The Parish Council reserves its position in relation to all individual sites.
2. Settlement hierarchy and the appropriate scale of growth
The Parish Council considers that the GNLP should establish clearly what role Bawburgh is expected to play within the proposed settlement hierarchy and, importantly, what scale of additional development would be appropriate for a settlement of its size and character.
The existence of individual, and limited, facilities, such as a primary school, should not in itself be treated as evidence that a settlement has capacity for any additional growth.
The assessment should take account of:
• the full range and capacity of existing services, of which there are very few;
• accessibility of those services;
• public transport provision, of which there is none;
• highway capacity, given the small roads through the village and bottleneck caused by the single lane historic
• bridge over the river;
• pedestrian and cycling infrastructure;
• school and healthcare capacity;
• water and wastewater infrastructure;
• drainage and flood risk;
• landscape and heritage constraints; and
• the cumulative effects of existing and proposed development both in Bawburgh and the surrounding villages.
The Parish Council asks that the GNLP establish an evidence-based assessment of the appropriate scale of growth for Bawburgh, if any, before sites are selected for allocation.
3. Infrastructure and cumulative impacts
The Parish Council strongly supports the proposed work on infrastructure needs but considers that assessments must be sufficiently detailed to identify existing capacity and existing deficiencies at settlement level.
In relation to Bawburgh, the evidence base should specifically consider:
• primary school capacity;
• healthcare provision;
• wastewater and sewerage capacity;
• water supply;
• surface-water and other drainage infrastructure;
• highways and junction capacity;
• parking;
• pedestrian and cycling infrastructure;
• public transport;
• community facilities; and
• recreation and open-space provision.
The Parish Council also considers that infrastructure assessments must take account of cumulative development, rather than assessing each proposed site in isolation.
Development proposed, and already ongoing and completed, in neighbouring parishes has already had significant consequences for Bawburgh's roads, services, landscape, drainage and environment. The relevant geographical area for assessment should therefore be determined by the likely impact of development, rather than solely by administrative parish boundaries.
4. Highways, traffic and accessibility
The Parish Council requests that the GNLP's transport evidence includes a detailed assessment of the cumulative effects of potential development affecting Bawburgh.
This should include:
• existing traffic conditions;
• highway and junction capacity;
• accident and highway-safety data;
• school-related traffic;
• pedestrian safety;
• existing footway provision;
• cycling routes;
• public transport availability; and
• the cumulative effects of development in Bawburgh and surrounding settlements and the increase in “rat running” through the narrow village roads..
Accessibility should be assessed using actual safe and practical routes, rather than simply straight-line distances between development sites and facilities. Bawburgh has narrow roads and very few footpaths to assist with pedestrian safety should traffic levels increase. It is also difficult to access any of the local services, such as shops etc, without a car since Bawburgh itself has few facilities bar a pub and school.
The historic bridge in the centre of the village is not suitable for heavy traffic flow and is already in a poor state because of increasing traffic levels and lack of maintenance.
The Parish Council considers that the ability of residents, including children and less mobile residents, to walk or cycle safely to local services should be an important consideration in determining the sustainability of any proposed development.
5. Landscape, settlement character and separation
Bawburgh has a distinctive landscape and historic setting. The Parish Council considers that the proposed landscape evidence should specifically identify:
• the landscape setting of Bawburgh;
• important views into and out of the village;
• the potential effect on the Southern Bypass Protection Zone;
• the relationship between the village and the surrounding countryside;
• the relationship between Bawburgh and neighbouring settlements;
• areas where development could result in settlement coalescence; and
• areas of particularly low capacity for development.
The Parish Council considers that the landscape capacity of the Bawburgh area should be established before decisions are made about the scale of development that the area can accommodate.
6. Heritage and archaeology
The Parish Council asks that the GNLP's heritage evidence properly considers the Bawburgh Conservation Area, listed buildings, archaeological assets and the historic landscape.
Previous plan-making work identified heritage and archaeological considerations in relation to potential development around Bawburgh. The Parish Council considers that previous evidence should be taken into account when preparing the new evidence base and that the assessment should consider not only direct effects on heritage assets but also effects on their setting and the character of the wider village.
7. Flooding, drainage and water environment
The Parish Council supports the proposed Flood Risk Assessment and Water Cycle Study but considers that these must address the particular circumstances of Bawburgh and the surrounding river-valley environment.
The assessment should consider:
• fluvial flooding;
• surface-water flooding;
• groundwater;
• sewer flooding;
• existing drainage capacity;
• increased surface-water run-off; and
• cumulative impacts arising from development within the wider catchment.
The Parish Council considers that it is important to establish existing capacity and constraints before relying upon future development contributions or site-specific mitigation. The village experiences regular flooding across the flood meadows and beyond when river levels are high. There has also been an increase in surface water flooding in recent years which has impacted some of the lower lying properties in the village. This is due to the lack of capacity of the current drainage system.
8. Sites outside Bawburgh but affecting the village
The Parish Council is aware that the 2026 Call for Sites process has generated proposals for substantial development in locations close to Bawburgh, including land recorded by the GNLP as being within neighbouring parishes.
For example, Site 26021 – Land surrounding Villa Farm, Watton Road is recorded as approximately 387 hectares and is promoted for strategic housing, employment and other uses, including 500+ homes.
The Parish Council understands that individual site comments are not sought through the current Scoping Consultation and does not seek to make detailed representations on the merits of individual sites at this stage.
Nevertheless, the existence of potentially substantial development proposals immediately affecting Bawburgh demonstrates the importance of ensuring that the GNLP's evidence base assesses impacts by geographical catchment and not simply by administrative parish boundaries.
The Parish Council therefore requests that the cumulative effects of development proposals affecting Bawburgh are assessed irrespective of the parish in which the development site is located.
There has already been very significant development in areas surrounding Bawburgh (in Easton, Hethersett and Cringleford) which have already stretched in infrastructure on this side of Norwich
9. Deliverability of proposed sites
The Parish Council considers that the eventual site-selection methodology should distinguish between land which is theoretically capable of accommodating development and land which is realistically deliverable.
Assessment should include, where relevant:
• availability of suitable highway access;
• third-party land requirements;
• infrastructure capacity;
• utility connections;
• drainage;
• environmental constraints;
• abnormal infrastructure costs;
• ownership and delivery arrangements; and the realistic timescale for delivery.
Previous GNLP work identified a number of constraints affecting potential development around Bawburgh. The Parish Council considers that these should be revisited and updated rather than assumed to have ceased to be relevant.
10. New National Planning Policy Framework
The Parish Council notes that the current Scoping Consultation material was prepared before publication of the revised National Planning Policy Framework on 17 August 2026.
The Parish Council therefore asks the GNLP authorities to confirm that the proposed evidence base, growth strategy, settlement hierarchy and site-selection methodology will be reviewed and, where necessary, amended to ensure that the emerging GNLP 2045 is consistent with the revised NPPF.
11. Conclusion
Bawburgh Parish Council considers that the key issue at this stage is to ensure that the GNLP establishes the actual capacity of Bawburgh and its surrounding area to accommodate further development before sites are selected. We would submit that there in no further capacity in this area.
The Parish Council therefore requests that the final evidence base and site-selection methodology:
- establish an objective assessment of the appropriate scale of growth, if any, for Bawburgh;
- identify existing infrastructure capacity and deficiencies;
- assess cumulative highway and infrastructure impacts;
- properly assess landscape, heritage, ecological and flood-risk constraints;
- assess genuine accessibility by walking, cycling and public transport;
- assess the cumulative impact of development in neighbouring parishes where it affects Bawburgh;
- take account of previous GNLP evidence concerning constraints around Bawburgh;
- give proper weight to the realistic deliverability of proposed sites; and
- be reviewed to ensure consistency with the revised NPPF published on 17 August 2026.
The Parish Council will look forward to engaging further with the GNLP process when the site assessments and emerging plan are published. We also reserve the right to make detailed representations concerning individual sites at the appropriate subsequent consultation stages.

Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 – Scoping Consultation Response
Response submitted by: Bawburgh Parish Council
Consultation: Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 – Scoping Consultation
1. Introduction
Bawburgh Parish Council recognises the need for the GNLP to establish an appropriate framework for meeting future housing and employment needs across Greater Norwich. However, it considers that the capacity of individual settlements to accommodate further growth must be assessed carefully and objectively, having regard to existing infrastructure, environmental constraints, settlement character and the cumulative effects of development.
Bawburgh is a small village with a distinct historic and landscape character and a very limited range of local services and infrastructure. The Parish Council therefore considers it important that the GNLP's evidence base and site-selection methodology properly identify the constraints and capacity of Bawburgh before decisions are made about the scale or location of future development.
The Parish Council's comments at this stage are principally directed towards the scope and adequacy of the evidence base and methodology. We understand that individual sites submitted through the 2026 Call for Sites process have not yet been assessed and that detailed representations concerning individual sites will be invited at a later stage. The Parish Council reserves its position in relation to all individual sites.
2. Settlement hierarchy and the appropriate scale of growth
The Parish Council considers that the GNLP should establish clearly what role Bawburgh is expected to play within the proposed settlement hierarchy and, importantly, what scale of additional development would be appropriate for a settlement of its size and character.
The existence of individual, and limited, facilities, such as a primary school, should not in itself be treated as evidence that a settlement has capacity for any additional growth.
The assessment should take account of:
• the full range and capacity of existing services, of which there are very few;
• accessibility of those services;
• public transport provision, of which there is none;
• highway capacity, given the small roads through the village and bottleneck caused by the single lane historic
• bridge over the river;
• pedestrian and cycling infrastructure;
• school and healthcare capacity;
• water and wastewater infrastructure;
• drainage and flood risk;
• landscape and heritage constraints; and
• the cumulative effects of existing and proposed development both in Bawburgh and the surrounding villages.
The Parish Council asks that the GNLP establish an evidence-based assessment of the appropriate scale of growth for Bawburgh, if any, before sites are selected for allocation.
3. Infrastructure and cumulative impacts
The Parish Council strongly supports the proposed work on infrastructure needs but considers that assessments must be sufficiently detailed to identify existing capacity and existing deficiencies at settlement level.
In relation to Bawburgh, the evidence base should specifically consider:
• primary school capacity;
• healthcare provision;
• wastewater and sewerage capacity;
• water supply;
• surface-water and other drainage infrastructure;
• highways and junction capacity;
• parking;
• pedestrian and cycling infrastructure;
• public transport;
• community facilities; and
• recreation and open-space provision.
The Parish Council also considers that infrastructure assessments must take account of cumulative development, rather than assessing each proposed site in isolation.
Development proposed, and already ongoing and completed, in neighbouring parishes has already had significant consequences for Bawburgh's roads, services, landscape, drainage and environment. The relevant geographical area for assessment should therefore be determined by the likely impact of development, rather than solely by administrative parish boundaries.
4. Highways, traffic and accessibility
The Parish Council requests that the GNLP's transport evidence includes a detailed assessment of the cumulative effects of potential development affecting Bawburgh.
This should include:
• existing traffic conditions;
• highway and junction capacity;
• accident and highway-safety data;
• school-related traffic;
• pedestrian safety;
• existing footway provision;
• cycling routes;
• public transport availability; and
• the cumulative effects of development in Bawburgh and surrounding settlements and the increase in “rat running” through the narrow village roads..
Accessibility should be assessed using actual safe and practical routes, rather than simply straight-line distances between development sites and facilities. Bawburgh has narrow roads and very few footpaths to assist with pedestrian safety should traffic levels increase. It is also difficult to access any of the local services, such as shops etc, without a car since Bawburgh itself has few facilities bar a pub and school.
The historic bridge in the centre of the village is not suitable for heavy traffic flow and is already in a poor state because of increasing traffic levels and lack of maintenance.
The Parish Council considers that the ability of residents, including children and less mobile residents, to walk or cycle safely to local services should be an important consideration in determining the sustainability of any proposed development.
5. Landscape, settlement character and separation
Bawburgh has a distinctive landscape and historic setting. The Parish Council considers that the proposed landscape evidence should specifically identify:
• the landscape setting of Bawburgh;
• important views into and out of the village;
• the potential effect on the Southern Bypass Protection Zone;
• the relationship between the village and the surrounding countryside;
• the relationship between Bawburgh and neighbouring settlements;
• areas where development could result in settlement coalescence; and
• areas of particularly low capacity for development.
The Parish Council considers that the landscape capacity of the Bawburgh area should be established before decisions are made about the scale of development that the area can accommodate.
6. Heritage and archaeology
The Parish Council asks that the GNLP's heritage evidence properly considers the Bawburgh Conservation Area, listed buildings, archaeological assets and the historic landscape.
Previous plan-making work identified heritage and archaeological considerations in relation to potential development around Bawburgh. The Parish Council considers that previous evidence should be taken into account when preparing the new evidence base and that the assessment should consider not only direct effects on heritage assets but also effects on their setting and the character of the wider village.
7. Flooding, drainage and water environment
The Parish Council supports the proposed Flood Risk Assessment and Water Cycle Study but considers that these must address the particular circumstances of Bawburgh and the surrounding river-valley environment.
The assessment should consider:
• fluvial flooding;
• surface-water flooding;
• groundwater;
• sewer flooding;
• existing drainage capacity;
• increased surface-water run-off; and
• cumulative impacts arising from development within the wider catchment.
The Parish Council considers that it is important to establish existing capacity and constraints before relying upon future development contributions or site-specific mitigation. The village experiences regular flooding across the flood meadows and beyond when river levels are high. There has also been an increase in surface water flooding in recent years which has impacted some of the lower lying properties in the village. This is due to the lack of capacity of the current drainage system.
8. Sites outside Bawburgh but affecting the village
The Parish Council is aware that the 2026 Call for Sites process has generated proposals for substantial development in locations close to Bawburgh, including land recorded by the GNLP as being within neighbouring parishes.
For example, Site 26021 – Land surrounding Villa Farm, Watton Road is recorded as approximately 387 hectares and is promoted for strategic housing, employment and other uses, including 500+ homes.
The Parish Council understands that individual site comments are not sought through the current Scoping Consultation and does not seek to make detailed representations on the merits of individual sites at this stage.
Nevertheless, the existence of potentially substantial development proposals immediately affecting Bawburgh demonstrates the importance of ensuring that the GNLP's evidence base assesses impacts by geographical catchment and not simply by administrative parish boundaries.
The Parish Council therefore requests that the cumulative effects of development proposals affecting Bawburgh are assessed irrespective of the parish in which the development site is located.
There has already been very significant development in areas surrounding Bawburgh (in Easton, Hethersett and Cringleford) which have already stretched in infrastructure on this side of Norwich
9. Deliverability of proposed sites
The Parish Council considers that the eventual site-selection methodology should distinguish between land which is theoretically capable of accommodating development and land which is realistically deliverable.
Assessment should include, where relevant:
• availability of suitable highway access;
• third-party land requirements;
• infrastructure capacity;
• utility connections;
• drainage;
• environmental constraints;
• abnormal infrastructure costs;
• ownership and delivery arrangements; and the realistic timescale for delivery.
Previous GNLP work identified a number of constraints affecting potential development around Bawburgh. The Parish Council considers that these should be revisited and updated rather than assumed to have ceased to be relevant.
10. New National Planning Policy Framework
The Parish Council notes that the current Scoping Consultation material was prepared before publication of the revised National Planning Policy Framework on 17 August 2026.
The Parish Council therefore asks the GNLP authorities to confirm that the proposed evidence base, growth strategy, settlement hierarchy and site-selection methodology will be reviewed and, where necessary, amended to ensure that the emerging GNLP 2045 is consistent with the revised NPPF.
11. Conclusion
Bawburgh Parish Council considers that the key issue at this stage is to ensure that the GNLP establishes the actual capacity of Bawburgh and its surrounding area to accommodate further development before sites are selected. We would submit that there in no further capacity in this area.
The Parish Council therefore requests that the final evidence base and site-selection methodology:
- establish an objective assessment of the appropriate scale of growth, if any, for Bawburgh;
- identify existing infrastructure capacity and deficiencies;
- assess cumulative highway and infrastructure impacts;
- properly assess landscape, heritage, ecological and flood-risk constraints;
- assess genuine accessibility by walking, cycling and public transport;
- assess the cumulative impact of development in neighbouring parishes where it affects Bawburgh;
- take account of previous GNLP evidence concerning constraints around Bawburgh;
- give proper weight to the realistic deliverability of proposed sites; and
- be reviewed to ensure consistency with the revised NPPF published on 17 August 2026.
The Parish Council will look forward to engaging further with the GNLP process when the site assessments and emerging plan are published. We also reserve the right to make detailed representations concerning individual sites at the appropriate subsequent consultation stages.

Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 – Scoping Consultation Response
Response submitted by: Bawburgh Parish Council
Consultation: Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 – Scoping Consultation
1. Introduction
Bawburgh Parish Council recognises the need for the GNLP to establish an appropriate framework for meeting future housing and employment needs across Greater Norwich. However, it considers that the capacity of individual settlements to accommodate further growth must be assessed carefully and objectively, having regard to existing infrastructure, environmental constraints, settlement character and the cumulative effects of development.
Bawburgh is a small village with a distinct historic and landscape character and a very limited range of local services and infrastructure. The Parish Council therefore considers it important that the GNLP's evidence base and site-selection methodology properly identify the constraints and capacity of Bawburgh before decisions are made about the scale or location of future development.
The Parish Council's comments at this stage are principally directed towards the scope and adequacy of the evidence base and methodology. We understand that individual sites submitted through the 2026 Call for Sites process have not yet been assessed and that detailed representations concerning individual sites will be invited at a later stage. The Parish Council reserves its position in relation to all individual sites.
2. Settlement hierarchy and the appropriate scale of growth
The Parish Council considers that the GNLP should establish clearly what role Bawburgh is expected to play within the proposed settlement hierarchy and, importantly, what scale of additional development would be appropriate for a settlement of its size and character.
The existence of individual, and limited, facilities, such as a primary school, should not in itself be treated as evidence that a settlement has capacity for any additional growth.
The assessment should take account of:
• the full range and capacity of existing services, of which there are very few;
• accessibility of those services;
• public transport provision, of which there is none;
• highway capacity, given the small roads through the village and bottleneck caused by the single lane historic
• bridge over the river;
• pedestrian and cycling infrastructure;
• school and healthcare capacity;
• water and wastewater infrastructure;
• drainage and flood risk;
• landscape and heritage constraints; and
• the cumulative effects of existing and proposed development both in Bawburgh and the surrounding villages.
The Parish Council asks that the GNLP establish an evidence-based assessment of the appropriate scale of growth for Bawburgh, if any, before sites are selected for allocation.
3. Infrastructure and cumulative impacts
The Parish Council strongly supports the proposed work on infrastructure needs but considers that assessments must be sufficiently detailed to identify existing capacity and existing deficiencies at settlement level.
In relation to Bawburgh, the evidence base should specifically consider:
• primary school capacity;
• healthcare provision;
• wastewater and sewerage capacity;
• water supply;
• surface-water and other drainage infrastructure;
• highways and junction capacity;
• parking;
• pedestrian and cycling infrastructure;
• public transport;
• community facilities; and
• recreation and open-space provision.
The Parish Council also considers that infrastructure assessments must take account of cumulative development, rather than assessing each proposed site in isolation.
Development proposed, and already ongoing and completed, in neighbouring parishes has already had significant consequences for Bawburgh's roads, services, landscape, drainage and environment. The relevant geographical area for assessment should therefore be determined by the likely impact of development, rather than solely by administrative parish boundaries.
4. Highways, traffic and accessibility
The Parish Council requests that the GNLP's transport evidence includes a detailed assessment of the cumulative effects of potential development affecting Bawburgh.
This should include:
• existing traffic conditions;
• highway and junction capacity;
• accident and highway-safety data;
• school-related traffic;
• pedestrian safety;
• existing footway provision;
• cycling routes;
• public transport availability; and
• the cumulative effects of development in Bawburgh and surrounding settlements and the increase in “rat running” through the narrow village roads..
Accessibility should be assessed using actual safe and practical routes, rather than simply straight-line distances between development sites and facilities. Bawburgh has narrow roads and very few footpaths to assist with pedestrian safety should traffic levels increase. It is also difficult to access any of the local services, such as shops etc, without a car since Bawburgh itself has few facilities bar a pub and school.
The historic bridge in the centre of the village is not suitable for heavy traffic flow and is already in a poor state because of increasing traffic levels and lack of maintenance.
The Parish Council considers that the ability of residents, including children and less mobile residents, to walk or cycle safely to local services should be an important consideration in determining the sustainability of any proposed development.
5. Landscape, settlement character and separation
Bawburgh has a distinctive landscape and historic setting. The Parish Council considers that the proposed landscape evidence should specifically identify:
• the landscape setting of Bawburgh;
• important views into and out of the village;
• the potential effect on the Southern Bypass Protection Zone;
• the relationship between the village and the surrounding countryside;
• the relationship between Bawburgh and neighbouring settlements;
• areas where development could result in settlement coalescence; and
• areas of particularly low capacity for development.
The Parish Council considers that the landscape capacity of the Bawburgh area should be established before decisions are made about the scale of development that the area can accommodate.
6. Heritage and archaeology
The Parish Council asks that the GNLP's heritage evidence properly considers the Bawburgh Conservation Area, listed buildings, archaeological assets and the historic landscape.
Previous plan-making work identified heritage and archaeological considerations in relation to potential development around Bawburgh. The Parish Council considers that previous evidence should be taken into account when preparing the new evidence base and that the assessment should consider not only direct effects on heritage assets but also effects on their setting and the character of the wider village.
7. Flooding, drainage and water environment
The Parish Council supports the proposed Flood Risk Assessment and Water Cycle Study but considers that these must address the particular circumstances of Bawburgh and the surrounding river-valley environment.
The assessment should consider:
• fluvial flooding;
• surface-water flooding;
• groundwater;
• sewer flooding;
• existing drainage capacity;
• increased surface-water run-off; and
• cumulative impacts arising from development within the wider catchment.
The Parish Council considers that it is important to establish existing capacity and constraints before relying upon future development contributions or site-specific mitigation. The village experiences regular flooding across the flood meadows and beyond when river levels are high. There has also been an increase in surface water flooding in recent years which has impacted some of the lower lying properties in the village. This is due to the lack of capacity of the current drainage system.
8. Sites outside Bawburgh but affecting the village
The Parish Council is aware that the 2026 Call for Sites process has generated proposals for substantial development in locations close to Bawburgh, including land recorded by the GNLP as being within neighbouring parishes.
For example, Site 26021 – Land surrounding Villa Farm, Watton Road is recorded as approximately 387 hectares and is promoted for strategic housing, employment and other uses, including 500+ homes.
The Parish Council understands that individual site comments are not sought through the current Scoping Consultation and does not seek to make detailed representations on the merits of individual sites at this stage.
Nevertheless, the existence of potentially substantial development proposals immediately affecting Bawburgh demonstrates the importance of ensuring that the GNLP's evidence base assesses impacts by geographical catchment and not simply by administrative parish boundaries.
The Parish Council therefore requests that the cumulative effects of development proposals affecting Bawburgh are assessed irrespective of the parish in which the development site is located.
There has already been very significant development in areas surrounding Bawburgh (in Easton, Hethersett and Cringleford) which have already stretched in infrastructure on this side of Norwich
9. Deliverability of proposed sites
The Parish Council considers that the eventual site-selection methodology should distinguish between land which is theoretically capable of accommodating development and land which is realistically deliverable.
Assessment should include, where relevant:
• availability of suitable highway access;
• third-party land requirements;
• infrastructure capacity;
• utility connections;
• drainage;
• environmental constraints;
• abnormal infrastructure costs;
• ownership and delivery arrangements; and the realistic timescale for delivery.
Previous GNLP work identified a number of constraints affecting potential development around Bawburgh. The Parish Council considers that these should be revisited and updated rather than assumed to have ceased to be relevant.
10. New National Planning Policy Framework
The Parish Council notes that the current Scoping Consultation material was prepared before publication of the revised National Planning Policy Framework on 17 August 2026.
The Parish Council therefore asks the GNLP authorities to confirm that the proposed evidence base, growth strategy, settlement hierarchy and site-selection methodology will be reviewed and, where necessary, amended to ensure that the emerging GNLP 2045 is consistent with the revised NPPF.
11. Conclusion
Bawburgh Parish Council considers that the key issue at this stage is to ensure that the GNLP establishes the actual capacity of Bawburgh and its surrounding area to accommodate further development before sites are selected. We would submit that there in no further capacity in this area.
The Parish Council therefore requests that the final evidence base and site-selection methodology:
- establish an objective assessment of the appropriate scale of growth, if any, for Bawburgh;
- identify existing infrastructure capacity and deficiencies;
- assess cumulative highway and infrastructure impacts;
- properly assess landscape, heritage, ecological and flood-risk constraints;
- assess genuine accessibility by walking, cycling and public transport;
- assess the cumulative impact of development in neighbouring parishes where it affects Bawburgh;
- take account of previous GNLP evidence concerning constraints around Bawburgh;
- give proper weight to the realistic deliverability of proposed sites; and
- be reviewed to ensure consistency with the revised NPPF published on 17 August 2026.
The Parish Council will look forward to engaging further with the GNLP process when the site assessments and emerging plan are published. We also reserve the right to make detailed representations concerning individual sites at the appropriate subsequent consultation stages.

Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 – Scoping Consultation Response
Response submitted by: Bawburgh Parish Council
Consultation: Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 – Scoping Consultation
1. Introduction
Bawburgh Parish Council recognises the need for the GNLP to establish an appropriate framework for meeting future housing and employment needs across Greater Norwich. However, it considers that the capacity of individual settlements to accommodate further growth must be assessed carefully and objectively, having regard to existing infrastructure, environmental constraints, settlement character and the cumulative effects of development.
Bawburgh is a small village with a distinct historic and landscape character and a very limited range of local services and infrastructure. The Parish Council therefore considers it important that the GNLP's evidence base and site-selection methodology properly identify the constraints and capacity of Bawburgh before decisions are made about the scale or location of future development.
The Parish Council's comments at this stage are principally directed towards the scope and adequacy of the evidence base and methodology. We understand that individual sites submitted through the 2026 Call for Sites process have not yet been assessed and that detailed representations concerning individual sites will be invited at a later stage. The Parish Council reserves its position in relation to all individual sites.
2. Settlement hierarchy and the appropriate scale of growth
The Parish Council considers that the GNLP should establish clearly what role Bawburgh is expected to play within the proposed settlement hierarchy and, importantly, what scale of additional development would be appropriate for a settlement of its size and character.
The existence of individual, and limited, facilities, such as a primary school, should not in itself be treated as evidence that a settlement has capacity for any additional growth.
The assessment should take account of:
• the full range and capacity of existing services, of which there are very few;
• accessibility of those services;
• public transport provision, of which there is none;
• highway capacity, given the small roads through the village and bottleneck caused by the single lane historic
• bridge over the river;
• pedestrian and cycling infrastructure;
• school and healthcare capacity;
• water and wastewater infrastructure;
• drainage and flood risk;
• landscape and heritage constraints; and
• the cumulative effects of existing and proposed development both in Bawburgh and the surrounding villages.
The Parish Council asks that the GNLP establish an evidence-based assessment of the appropriate scale of growth for Bawburgh, if any, before sites are selected for allocation.
3. Infrastructure and cumulative impacts
The Parish Council strongly supports the proposed work on infrastructure needs but considers that assessments must be sufficiently detailed to identify existing capacity and existing deficiencies at settlement level.
In relation to Bawburgh, the evidence base should specifically consider:
• primary school capacity;
• healthcare provision;
• wastewater and sewerage capacity;
• water supply;
• surface-water and other drainage infrastructure;
• highways and junction capacity;
• parking;
• pedestrian and cycling infrastructure;
• public transport;
• community facilities; and
• recreation and open-space provision.
The Parish Council also considers that infrastructure assessments must take account of cumulative development, rather than assessing each proposed site in isolation.
Development proposed, and already ongoing and completed, in neighbouring parishes has already had significant consequences for Bawburgh's roads, services, landscape, drainage and environment. The relevant geographical area for assessment should therefore be determined by the likely impact of development, rather than solely by administrative parish boundaries.
4. Highways, traffic and accessibility
The Parish Council requests that the GNLP's transport evidence includes a detailed assessment of the cumulative effects of potential development affecting Bawburgh.
This should include:
• existing traffic conditions;
• highway and junction capacity;
• accident and highway-safety data;
• school-related traffic;
• pedestrian safety;
• existing footway provision;
• cycling routes;
• public transport availability; and
• the cumulative effects of development in Bawburgh and surrounding settlements and the increase in “rat running” through the narrow village roads..
Accessibility should be assessed using actual safe and practical routes, rather than simply straight-line distances between development sites and facilities. Bawburgh has narrow roads and very few footpaths to assist with pedestrian safety should traffic levels increase. It is also difficult to access any of the local services, such as shops etc, without a car since Bawburgh itself has few facilities bar a pub and school.
The historic bridge in the centre of the village is not suitable for heavy traffic flow and is already in a poor state because of increasing traffic levels and lack of maintenance.
The Parish Council considers that the ability of residents, including children and less mobile residents, to walk or cycle safely to local services should be an important consideration in determining the sustainability of any proposed development.
5. Landscape, settlement character and separation
Bawburgh has a distinctive landscape and historic setting. The Parish Council considers that the proposed landscape evidence should specifically identify:
• the landscape setting of Bawburgh;
• important views into and out of the village;
• the potential effect on the Southern Bypass Protection Zone;
• the relationship between the village and the surrounding countryside;
• the relationship between Bawburgh and neighbouring settlements;
• areas where development could result in settlement coalescence; and
• areas of particularly low capacity for development.
The Parish Council considers that the landscape capacity of the Bawburgh area should be established before decisions are made about the scale of development that the area can accommodate.
6. Heritage and archaeology
The Parish Council asks that the GNLP's heritage evidence properly considers the Bawburgh Conservation Area, listed buildings, archaeological assets and the historic landscape.
Previous plan-making work identified heritage and archaeological considerations in relation to potential development around Bawburgh. The Parish Council considers that previous evidence should be taken into account when preparing the new evidence base and that the assessment should consider not only direct effects on heritage assets but also effects on their setting and the character of the wider village.
7. Flooding, drainage and water environment
The Parish Council supports the proposed Flood Risk Assessment and Water Cycle Study but considers that these must address the particular circumstances of Bawburgh and the surrounding river-valley environment.
The assessment should consider:
• fluvial flooding;
• surface-water flooding;
• groundwater;
• sewer flooding;
• existing drainage capacity;
• increased surface-water run-off; and
• cumulative impacts arising from development within the wider catchment.
The Parish Council considers that it is important to establish existing capacity and constraints before relying upon future development contributions or site-specific mitigation. The village experiences regular flooding across the flood meadows and beyond when river levels are high. There has also been an increase in surface water flooding in recent years which has impacted some of the lower lying properties in the village. This is due to the lack of capacity of the current drainage system.
8. Sites outside Bawburgh but affecting the village
The Parish Council is aware that the 2026 Call for Sites process has generated proposals for substantial development in locations close to Bawburgh, including land recorded by the GNLP as being within neighbouring parishes.
For example, Site 26021 – Land surrounding Villa Farm, Watton Road is recorded as approximately 387 hectares and is promoted for strategic housing, employment and other uses, including 500+ homes.
The Parish Council understands that individual site comments are not sought through the current Scoping Consultation and does not seek to make detailed representations on the merits of individual sites at this stage.
Nevertheless, the existence of potentially substantial development proposals immediately affecting Bawburgh demonstrates the importance of ensuring that the GNLP's evidence base assesses impacts by geographical catchment and not simply by administrative parish boundaries.
The Parish Council therefore requests that the cumulative effects of development proposals affecting Bawburgh are assessed irrespective of the parish in which the development site is located.
There has already been very significant development in areas surrounding Bawburgh (in Easton, Hethersett and Cringleford) which have already stretched in infrastructure on this side of Norwich
9. Deliverability of proposed sites
The Parish Council considers that the eventual site-selection methodology should distinguish between land which is theoretically capable of accommodating development and land which is realistically deliverable.
Assessment should include, where relevant:
• availability of suitable highway access;
• third-party land requirements;
• infrastructure capacity;
• utility connections;
• drainage;
• environmental constraints;
• abnormal infrastructure costs;
• ownership and delivery arrangements; and the realistic timescale for delivery.
Previous GNLP work identified a number of constraints affecting potential development around Bawburgh. The Parish Council considers that these should be revisited and updated rather than assumed to have ceased to be relevant.
10. New National Planning Policy Framework
The Parish Council notes that the current Scoping Consultation material was prepared before publication of the revised National Planning Policy Framework on 17 August 2026.
The Parish Council therefore asks the GNLP authorities to confirm that the proposed evidence base, growth strategy, settlement hierarchy and site-selection methodology will be reviewed and, where necessary, amended to ensure that the emerging GNLP 2045 is consistent with the revised NPPF.
11. Conclusion
Bawburgh Parish Council considers that the key issue at this stage is to ensure that the GNLP establishes the actual capacity of Bawburgh and its surrounding area to accommodate further development before sites are selected. We would submit that there in no further capacity in this area.
The Parish Council therefore requests that the final evidence base and site-selection methodology:
- establish an objective assessment of the appropriate scale of growth, if any, for Bawburgh;
- identify existing infrastructure capacity and deficiencies;
- assess cumulative highway and infrastructure impacts;
- properly assess landscape, heritage, ecological and flood-risk constraints;
- assess genuine accessibility by walking, cycling and public transport;
- assess the cumulative impact of development in neighbouring parishes where it affects Bawburgh;
- take account of previous GNLP evidence concerning constraints around Bawburgh;
- give proper weight to the realistic deliverability of proposed sites; and
- be reviewed to ensure consistency with the revised NPPF published on 17 August 2026.
The Parish Council will look forward to engaging further with the GNLP process when the site assessments and emerging plan are published. We also reserve the right to make detailed representations concerning individual sites at the appropriate subsequent consultation stages.

Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 – Scoping Consultation Response
Response submitted by: Bawburgh Parish Council
Consultation: Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 – Scoping Consultation
1. Introduction
Bawburgh Parish Council recognises the need for the GNLP to establish an appropriate framework for meeting future housing and employment needs across Greater Norwich. However, it considers that the capacity of individual settlements to accommodate further growth must be assessed carefully and objectively, having regard to existing infrastructure, environmental constraints, settlement character and the cumulative effects of development.
Bawburgh is a small village with a distinct historic and landscape character and a very limited range of local services and infrastructure. The Parish Council therefore considers it important that the GNLP's evidence base and site-selection methodology properly identify the constraints and capacity of Bawburgh before decisions are made about the scale or location of future development.
The Parish Council's comments at this stage are principally directed towards the scope and adequacy of the evidence base and methodology. We understand that individual sites submitted through the 2026 Call for Sites process have not yet been assessed and that detailed representations concerning individual sites will be invited at a later stage. The Parish Council reserves its position in relation to all individual sites.
2. Settlement hierarchy and the appropriate scale of growth
The Parish Council considers that the GNLP should establish clearly what role Bawburgh is expected to play within the proposed settlement hierarchy and, importantly, what scale of additional development would be appropriate for a settlement of its size and character.
The existence of individual, and limited, facilities, such as a primary school, should not in itself be treated as evidence that a settlement has capacity for any additional growth.
The assessment should take account of:
• the full range and capacity of existing services, of which there are very few;
• accessibility of those services;
• public transport provision, of which there is none;
• highway capacity, given the small roads through the village and bottleneck caused by the single lane historic
• bridge over the river;
• pedestrian and cycling infrastructure;
• school and healthcare capacity;
• water and wastewater infrastructure;
• drainage and flood risk;
• landscape and heritage constraints; and
• the cumulative effects of existing and proposed development both in Bawburgh and the surrounding villages.
The Parish Council asks that the GNLP establish an evidence-based assessment of the appropriate scale of growth for Bawburgh, if any, before sites are selected for allocation.
3. Infrastructure and cumulative impacts
The Parish Council strongly supports the proposed work on infrastructure needs but considers that assessments must be sufficiently detailed to identify existing capacity and existing deficiencies at settlement level.
In relation to Bawburgh, the evidence base should specifically consider:
• primary school capacity;
• healthcare provision;
• wastewater and sewerage capacity;
• water supply;
• surface-water and other drainage infrastructure;
• highways and junction capacity;
• parking;
• pedestrian and cycling infrastructure;
• public transport;
• community facilities; and
• recreation and open-space provision.
The Parish Council also considers that infrastructure assessments must take account of cumulative development, rather than assessing each proposed site in isolation.
Development proposed, and already ongoing and completed, in neighbouring parishes has already had significant consequences for Bawburgh's roads, services, landscape, drainage and environment. The relevant geographical area for assessment should therefore be determined by the likely impact of development, rather than solely by administrative parish boundaries.
4. Highways, traffic and accessibility
The Parish Council requests that the GNLP's transport evidence includes a detailed assessment of the cumulative effects of potential development affecting Bawburgh.
This should include:
• existing traffic conditions;
• highway and junction capacity;
• accident and highway-safety data;
• school-related traffic;
• pedestrian safety;
• existing footway provision;
• cycling routes;
• public transport availability; and
• the cumulative effects of development in Bawburgh and surrounding settlements and the increase in “rat running” through the narrow village roads..
Accessibility should be assessed using actual safe and practical routes, rather than simply straight-line distances between development sites and facilities. Bawburgh has narrow roads and very few footpaths to assist with pedestrian safety should traffic levels increase. It is also difficult to access any of the local services, such as shops etc, without a car since Bawburgh itself has few facilities bar a pub and school.
The historic bridge in the centre of the village is not suitable for heavy traffic flow and is already in a poor state because of increasing traffic levels and lack of maintenance.
The Parish Council considers that the ability of residents, including children and less mobile residents, to walk or cycle safely to local services should be an important consideration in determining the sustainability of any proposed development.
5. Landscape, settlement character and separation
Bawburgh has a distinctive landscape and historic setting. The Parish Council considers that the proposed landscape evidence should specifically identify:
• the landscape setting of Bawburgh;
• important views into and out of the village;
• the potential effect on the Southern Bypass Protection Zone;
• the relationship between the village and the surrounding countryside;
• the relationship between Bawburgh and neighbouring settlements;
• areas where development could result in settlement coalescence; and
• areas of particularly low capacity for development.
The Parish Council considers that the landscape capacity of the Bawburgh area should be established before decisions are made about the scale of development that the area can accommodate.
6. Heritage and archaeology
The Parish Council asks that the GNLP's heritage evidence properly considers the Bawburgh Conservation Area, listed buildings, archaeological assets and the historic landscape.
Previous plan-making work identified heritage and archaeological considerations in relation to potential development around Bawburgh. The Parish Council considers that previous evidence should be taken into account when preparing the new evidence base and that the assessment should consider not only direct effects on heritage assets but also effects on their setting and the character of the wider village.
7. Flooding, drainage and water environment
The Parish Council supports the proposed Flood Risk Assessment and Water Cycle Study but considers that these must address the particular circumstances of Bawburgh and the surrounding river-valley environment.
The assessment should consider:
• fluvial flooding;
• surface-water flooding;
• groundwater;
• sewer flooding;
• existing drainage capacity;
• increased surface-water run-off; and
• cumulative impacts arising from development within the wider catchment.
The Parish Council considers that it is important to establish existing capacity and constraints before relying upon future development contributions or site-specific mitigation. The village experiences regular flooding across the flood meadows and beyond when river levels are high. There has also been an increase in surface water flooding in recent years which has impacted some of the lower lying properties in the village. This is due to the lack of capacity of the current drainage system.
8. Sites outside Bawburgh but affecting the village
The Parish Council is aware that the 2026 Call for Sites process has generated proposals for substantial development in locations close to Bawburgh, including land recorded by the GNLP as being within neighbouring parishes.
For example, Site 26021 – Land surrounding Villa Farm, Watton Road is recorded as approximately 387 hectares and is promoted for strategic housing, employment and other uses, including 500+ homes.
The Parish Council understands that individual site comments are not sought through the current Scoping Consultation and does not seek to make detailed representations on the merits of individual sites at this stage.
Nevertheless, the existence of potentially substantial development proposals immediately affecting Bawburgh demonstrates the importance of ensuring that the GNLP's evidence base assesses impacts by geographical catchment and not simply by administrative parish boundaries.
The Parish Council therefore requests that the cumulative effects of development proposals affecting Bawburgh are assessed irrespective of the parish in which the development site is located.
There has already been very significant development in areas surrounding Bawburgh (in Easton, Hethersett and Cringleford) which have already stretched in infrastructure on this side of Norwich
9. Deliverability of proposed sites
The Parish Council considers that the eventual site-selection methodology should distinguish between land which is theoretically capable of accommodating development and land which is realistically deliverable.
Assessment should include, where relevant:
• availability of suitable highway access;
• third-party land requirements;
• infrastructure capacity;
• utility connections;
• drainage;
• environmental constraints;
• abnormal infrastructure costs;
• ownership and delivery arrangements; and the realistic timescale for delivery.
Previous GNLP work identified a number of constraints affecting potential development around Bawburgh. The Parish Council considers that these should be revisited and updated rather than assumed to have ceased to be relevant.
10. New National Planning Policy Framework
The Parish Council notes that the current Scoping Consultation material was prepared before publication of the revised National Planning Policy Framework on 17 August 2026.
The Parish Council therefore asks the GNLP authorities to confirm that the proposed evidence base, growth strategy, settlement hierarchy and site-selection methodology will be reviewed and, where necessary, amended to ensure that the emerging GNLP 2045 is consistent with the revised NPPF.
11. Conclusion
Bawburgh Parish Council considers that the key issue at this stage is to ensure that the GNLP establishes the actual capacity of Bawburgh and its surrounding area to accommodate further development before sites are selected. We would submit that there in no further capacity in this area.
The Parish Council therefore requests that the final evidence base and site-selection methodology:
- establish an objective assessment of the appropriate scale of growth, if any, for Bawburgh;
- identify existing infrastructure capacity and deficiencies;
- assess cumulative highway and infrastructure impacts;
- properly assess landscape, heritage, ecological and flood-risk constraints;
- assess genuine accessibility by walking, cycling and public transport;
- assess the cumulative impact of development in neighbouring parishes where it affects Bawburgh;
- take account of previous GNLP evidence concerning constraints around Bawburgh;
- give proper weight to the realistic deliverability of proposed sites; and
- be reviewed to ensure consistency with the revised NPPF published on 17 August 2026.
The Parish Council will look forward to engaging further with the GNLP process when the site assessments and emerging plan are published. We also reserve the right to make detailed representations concerning individual sites at the appropriate subsequent consultation stages.