GNLP 2045 Regulation 20 Scoping Consultation

Caistor St Edmund and Bixley Parish Council welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the early scoping of the Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045. The Parish Council would strongly encourage the Plan to continue to recognise Caistor St Edmund and Bixley as a rural parish near Norwich, rather than incorporating the parish into the Greater Norwich future growth area.

The rural character and identity of the parish should be protected from inappropriate or excessive development and from the cumulative impacts associated with strategic growth.

The Parish Council considers that future development should be carefully planned and sustainable, with particular regard to the capacity of existing local infrastructure. Any increase in housing should be matched by appropriate improvements to roads, public transport, drainage, schools, healthcare, and other community facilities.

The Plan should give appropriate weight to the protection of the parish’s rural character, landscape, biodiversity, green spaces, and heritage, including the important historic environment associated with Caistor St Edmund. Development should be appropriately located, designed, and scaled to reflect the character of existing settlements and avoid coalescence with neighbouring communities.

Climate resilience, surface-water management, and biodiversity should also be integral to the Plan from the outset.

The Parish Council considers that local communities must be meaningfully involved throughout the preparation of the GNLP 2045 and that the cumulative impact of development on rural parishes and their infrastructure should be accurately assessed before any sites are allocated.

The Parish Council looks forward to further opportunities to comment as the Plan progresses.