GNLP 2045 Regulation 20 Scoping Consultation

The SWOT analysis should recognise the important role that the network of rural settlements plays in accommodating future growth across Greater Norwich, alongside the primary role of Norwich and the larger settlements. It is recognised that the larger settlements mostly represent sustainable locations for accommodating a significant proportion of future growth, given their greater concentration of employment, services, facilities and infrastructure. However, a strategy that relies too heavily on the larger settlements would not fully recognise the contribution that sustainable rural settlements can make towards meeting the significant increase in housing need identified for the GNLP 2045.

The recently published NPPF 2026 places greater emphasis on enabling villages to grow and thrive, especially where this will support local services. It also promotes sustainable development in locations with good public transport connectivity, including around well-connected railway stations. Greater Norwich has the opportunity to utilise its network of well-connected rural settlements where they are connected by railway stations as part of a balanced approach to growth.

In this context, Reedham is a sustainable settlement, benefiting from a range of local services and facilities, including a primary school, food shop, public house, village hall and church, as well as a railway station. Site 25781: Land South of Church Road and West of Mill Road, Reedham, is located approximately a four-minute walk from Reedham Railway Station and is therefore well placed to benefit from this connectivity.

The baseline evidence should give greater consideration to settlement connectivity, rather than assessing the sustainability of settlements principally by reference to the size or number of services located within their boundaries. The evidence base should consider the role of railway stations and the frequency and destinations of services, alongside walking and cycling accessibility, access to local services and facilities, and connectivity between neighbouring settlements.

This would provide a more comprehensive assessment of sustainability of rural settlements and ensures that settlements such as Reedham, which benefit from rail connectivity as well as a range of local services, are appropriately recognised within the emerging strategy.

The existing strategy of directing the majority of growth towards the Norwich Urban Area and other high-order settlements is recognised as appropriate given the concentration of employment, services, facilities and infrastructure in these locations.
Nothwithstanding this, the new Local Plan presents an opportunity to ensure that the spatial strategy is sufficiently balanced and flexible to reflect the increased housing need and the capacity of sustainable rural settlements to accommodate additional growth.

The preparation of the new Greater Norwich Local Plan 2045 presents a significant challenge and opportunity for the area. The emerging housing requirement of 2,590 homes per annum in 2024 represents a significant increase compared to previous requirement of 1,920 homes. Given the scale of this step change, it is important for the Local Plan to identify a broad range of development opportunities across Greater Norwich, rather than relying predominantly on the Norwich Urban Area, brownfield land and larger key service centres.

A balanced approach should therefore continue to direct a significant proportion of growth towards Norwich and the larger settlements, whilst also identifying appropriate and proportionate opportunities for growth at sustainable villages.

The GNLP’s evidence base demonstrates that villages are already making a meaningful contribution to housing delivery. While villages were identified to accommodate 9% of the target housing delivery, they accounted for 17% of actual delivery between 2018 and 2024.

The GNLP 2045 should build upon this by identifying rural settlements where additional growth can support existing services, make efficient use of existing infrastructure and provide homes in locations with good access to public transport.

It is anticipated that there will be insufficient previously developed (brownfield) land available to accommodate the level of growth required across Greater Norwich.

The emerging GNLP identifies a range of potential growth options, including brownfield intensification, urban extensions, new settlements, dispersed growth in villages and development in well-connected places. Suitable greenfield sites, which are sustainably located and capable of delivering development alongside the necessary infrastructure and environmental enhancements should also be given greater consideration. Importance should be given to sites which are well related to existing settlements and benefit from good access to services, facilities and sustainable transport, including railway stations within the GNLP Growth Strategy.

Site 25781: Land South of Church Road and West of Mill Road, Reedham, provides an opportunity to deliver housing in a location which is physically well-related to Reedham and within walking distance of Reedham Railway Station, whilst providing new green infrastructure, recreation and active travel connections.

The majority of growth should continue to be directed towards Norwich and the larger settlements. However, given the increased housing need, the GNLP should also identify sustainable rural settlements capable of accommodating proportionate additional growth. Consideration in relation to the expansion of existing rural settlements should focus on appropriate levels of existing services and facilities, access to education and community facilities, access to public transport, particularly rail, opportunities to support and enhance existing local services, and land that is capable of accommodating development without overriding environmental constraints.

Reedham represents an appropriate location for additional growth. The settlement benefits from a range of existing services and facilities, including a primary school, food shop and village hall, together with a railway station. Reedham Railway Station provides regular services to Norwich, Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth. Site 25781: Land South of Church Road and West of Mill Road, Reedham, is located within a four-minute walk of the station and is therefore well placed to enable trips to key facilities and public transport connections. The site is also well related to the existing settlement and has the potential to provide approximately 150no. new homes, alongside new walking and cycling connections, public open space, Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) and biodiversity enhancements. These measures would provide benefits for both new and existing residents to aid in integrating the development with the wider village.

The settlement hierarchy should ensure that it appropriately reflects connectivity and accessibility as well as settlement size and service provision. Consideration should be afforded to rural settlements which benefit from railway stations. The recently published NPPF 2026 places an increased emphasis on development in locations within reasonable walking distance of well-connected stations, reflecting their ability to support sustainable patterns of development.

The emerging GNLP should therefore avoid a settlement hierarchy that limits the growth potential smaller rural settlements based solely on their population or position within the existing hierarchy. Instead, settlements should be assessed having regard to their actual connectivity, relationship with neighbouring settlements, access to services and facilities and ability to accommodate sustainable growth.

Reedham provides a suitable example, which while it is identified as a rural settlement, it benefits from a range of local services and a railway station, and is therefore considered suitable to be able to accommodate additional residential development. Well-designed residential extensions to lower-order settlements should be considered a key factor within the settlement hierarchy as there is an opportunity to deliver a substantial quantum of new homes to meet increased housing needs.

The Greater Norwich Authorities published their updated Housing Land Supply Assessment for the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2030, which confirmed that the Council is unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. The current housing land supply is 4.85 years.

Total housing need for 2026 to 2045 has increased by 34.9%, from 1,920 homes per annum in 2018, to 2,590 homes per annum in 2024. This represents a significant increase compared for the adopted amount within the local plan. Given the scale of this step change, it is necessary for the Council to plan positively for growth and identify a range of development opportunities across Greater Norfolk including sustainable locations including those in proximity to train stations.

The Local Plan should support the delivery of sustainable, high-quality homes capable of meeting a variety of housing needs, including market and affordable housing, whilst also encouraging adaptable and accessible homes where appropriate. This approach will aid in ensuring that new development can contribute towards creating balanced and inclusive communities that remain resilient to future changes in housing demand.

The emerging Plan should focus on identifying sustainable and deliverable locations for growth, ensuring the timely delivery of homes in the right places, supported by appropriate infrastructure, services and high-quality environments. This flexible approach will help ensure housing provision remains aligned with evolving local requirements throughout the plan period.
Site 25781: Land South of Church Road and West of Mill Road, Reedham provides an opportunity to contribute approximately 150no. homes in a sustainable location, alongside the delivery of supporting green infrastructure, recreation, active travel connections and other infrastructure. The emerging GNLP should take a balanced approach when considering the location of new housing development across the borough, ensuring that large-scale developments are located within a variety of locations, serving both urban and rural communities.

In responding to these challenges, the new Local Plan should provide a flexible policy framework that supports the delivery of a broad range of housing types, sizes and tenures. Rather than prescribing housing mixes too rigidly, policies should allow development to respond to the most up-to-date evidence of local housing need at the planning application stage, ensuring that housing provision can adapt to changing demographic, economic and market circumstances throughout the plan period.

The GNLP should support the delivery of sustainable, high-quality homes capable of meeting a variety of housing needs, including market and affordable housing, whilst also encouraging adaptable, accessible and specialist homes where appropriate. This approach will aid in ensuring that new development can contribute towards creating balance and inclusive communities that remain resilient to future changes in housing demand.

The Plan should focus on identifying sustainable and deliverable locations for growth, ensuring the timely delivery of homes in the right places, supported by appropriate infrastructure, services and high-quality environments. This flexible approach will help ensure housing provision remains aligned with evolving local requirements throughout the plan period.

It is recognised that the majority of growth should be directed towards Norwich and the larger settlements, where the concentration of services, employment and infrastructure provides the greatest opportunities for sustainable development. However, the scale of the identified need means that a balanced approach will also be required, drawing upon the capacity of sustainable rural settlements.

In particular, the GNLP should recognise the opportunity presented by rural settlements which are served by railways stations and have a good range of existing services and facilities. The NPPF 2026 places increased emphasis on sustainable patterns of development, including development in locations well connected to stations, and specifically requires local plans to identify suites which support rural communities and enable villages to grow and thrive.

Reedham represents an example of such a location. Whilst within the 2024 GNLP Reedham is positioned relatively low-down in the settlement hierarchy, the adopted Local Plan notes that local services include a primary school, food shop, pub, village hall, church and public transport, with a total deliverable housing commitment at Reedham of 57 homes over the plan period. Furthermore, the Neighbourhood Plan states that Reedham is ‘a fairly sustainable location, with a good range of local services and facilities.’

Site 25781: Land South of Church Road and West of Mill Road, Reedham, benefits from a range of local services, a primary school and railway station within an approximate four-minute walk. The site is physically well-related to the existing settlement and has the potential to provide approximately 150no. homes alongside new green infrastructure, recreation, walking and cycling connections, biodiversity enhancements and sustainable drainage.

Furthermore, the site is not subject to the types of strategic constraints which would preclude its consideration for growth. The emerging framework demonstrates that the identified landscape, heritage, ecological and railway considerations can be incorporated into the development through appropriate buffers, open space, planting and sensitive design.

To summarise, the emerging GNLP should therefore adopt a balanced and flexible growth strategy which recognises the role of sustainable rural settlements alongside the larger urban areas, with particular consideration given to settlements that benefit from strong public transport connectivity.

The location of growth should be a key component of the GNLP’s approach to sustainable travel and reducing transport emissions. Greater weight should be given to sites which provide realistic opportunities for walking, cycling and public transport, rather than assessing sustainability solely by reference to the availability of services within the settlement.
The presence of a railways station should be an important consideration in identifying suitable locations for growth. The NPPF 2026 now provides greater policy support for suitable development around well-connected railway stations, recognising their role in supporting sustainable patterns of development. Site 25781: Land South of Church Road and West of Mill Road, Reedham is located approximately within a four-minute walk of Reedham Railway Station and the emerging proposals include pedestrian and cycle connections linking the site within the existing village and wider footpath network.