GNLP 2045 Regulation 20 Scoping Consultation

No, this is a central government recommendation and does not need to be exceeded.

To assist affordable housing delivery council might need to consider a site by site approach as opposed to a set rate - this could reflect the CIL charging zones noting that viability of the GNLP area is not evenly spread.
The Council should recognise that there is a cost to accessible home provision and it may be appropriate to have a spread based on the regional variances / demands profile whilst also enabling the market to respond rather than applying a rigid policy basis.
In relation to specialist housing, policies shouldn’t be too restrictive and should allow the market to respond accordingly.
Self and custom build the provision on major development sites is not realistic. It doesn’t meet the recognised needs for self and custom build and places additional burden and restriction on developers, for example on health and safety, phasing and plotting. Set rates of self and custom build on allocated sites should be removed as it is not an effective tool for the delivery of this specialist house type and instead it should be accounted for under its own class and allowed to come forward under the historical PPG 13 rules.

The plan should align with national policy and should crucially remove the flat rate of self-build homes on allocated sites.

Housing and employment growth should go hand in hand which can be achieved in the Councils vision of a Strategic Growth Corridor, especially in locations like Spooner Row.

The strengthening of bus and train connections across the region is fundamental to support the evening and late night economies of cities, towns and village centres. The Council’s evidence highlights that historically Key Service Centres such as Loddon and Hethersett have seen significant growth and it is now vital to support the growth of other sustainable key service centres like Poringland / Framlingham Earl. New development here can enhance bus connectivity and support neighbourhood vitality and aligns directly with the sustainable, well designed places as mandated in the NPPF.

The strengthening of bus and train connections across the region is fundamental to support the evening and late night economies of cities, towns and village centres. The Council should look to support growth where these provisions already exist, particularly within the Strategic Growth Corridor such as Spooner Row.

The Council should look to ensure there is greater transparency around infrastructure plans including the detailed designs, forecasts, delivery and progress (specifically regarding any delays in the progress) which will enable certainty for developers to invest in the region.
The Council should look to use modern techniques such as an integrated platform which digitally present the location and status of the infrastructure projects.

To support accessibility the Council should consider highly sustainable Key Service Centres like Poringland / Framlingham Earl which have historically received less growth than other key service centres. New development here can support the delivery of affordable housing locally, enhance bus connectivity and support neighbourhood vitality.
The Council should place more pressure on central government for answers, as well as increased powers to hold the utility bodies to account for their failure to deliver.
With Future Homes Standards coming into place, the Council should align clean power and net zero ambitions to those set nationally and not set local standards.

The Council’s evidence outlines that across the GNLP area, households in South Norfolk statistically have the highest car ownership and are also furthest away from railway stations, with 83% of households living more than 30 minutes walk from a railway station. To meet the Councils’ green ambitions, where rail services already exist and could be enhanced, particularly locations, such as Spooner Row, the Council should follow National Planning Policy and encourage development that is in reasonable walking distance of a train station.
The Council should place more pressure on central government for answers, as well as increased powers to hold the utility bodies to account for their failure to deliver.
With Future Homes Standards coming into place, the Council should align their clean power and net zero ambitions to those standards set nationally and not set local energy efficiency standards.

Policies should ensure that they do not replicate or seek to replace existing technical requirements secured by other statutory regimes, i.e. Building Regulations. Any policy changes should be carefully consulted on and should be considered against the viability constraints across the region. Any policy above statutory requirements required reasoned justification due to the implications this will have on viability and delivery.