GNLP 2045 Regulation 20 Scoping Consultation

Woodton Parish Council considers that any future growth in Woodton should be proportionate, infrastructure-led and environmentally sustainable. However, at present, the Parish Council does not consider that further housing growth in Woodton is viable or justified.

The level of existing and committed development should be fully taken into account when assessing future growth. Woodton currently has 62 new properties, comprising 53 either under construction or completed but unsold, together with planning permission for a further 9 properties, with construction due to commence imminently. Several recent developments remain unfinished, unsold and/or unoccupied, including the 50-home development on Church Road currently being constructed, with no clear evidence of sufficient demand for the housing already being provided. In these circumstances, the Council considers the need for and viability of any further residential development should be carefully established before additional growth is proposed. The fact that Woodton is designated as a Service Village should not, in itself, be taken as justification for further housing allocations. The capacity of existing infrastructure should also be properly assessed before any further growth is considered, particularly in relation to:
- road capacity, traffic and pedestrian safety;
- surface-water drainage and flood risk;
- wastewater capacity;
- school capacity; and
- community facilities and open space.

Woodton has previously been identified as having constraints relating to surface-water flooding, wastewater and the road network. These constraints should be properly recognised and reflected in the new Plan. It should also be noted that Woodton no longer has a village store, further reducing the range of services available within the village.

Future development, should it be considered appropriate in the longer term, must respect Woodton’s rural character and settlement form, important landscape views, heritage, biodiversity and wildlife sites, and important open spaces and trees. The cumulative impact of existing, committed and any future development should be considered rather than individual proposals being assessed in isolation.

Woodton Parish Council therefore considers that no further growth should be identified for Woodton at this time.

The Parish Council requests continued involvement in the preparation of the Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045, particularly when the future settlement hierarchy, growth strategy and individual site allocations are considered