Planning Application – Fir Grove, Hethel Road

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Our ref 2026/0364

Proposal: Construction of new self-build dwelling following demolition of agricultural building
Location: Fir Grove, Hethel Road, Wreningham NR16 1BE
Applicant: Mr & Mrs Anderson
Application Type: Full Planning Permission

You can submit your comments by emailing planning@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk, online at www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk , or by post before 12 April 2026. If this is not possible or you wish to discuss the proposal before sending your comments please contact the case officer.
Please note: any comments you make will be available to view on-line.

The Farthings – a decision

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The S106 was recently signed by all the parties concerned and has triggered the planning permission for the application 2024/1135. See that link for all the documents.

We understand that work may commence on The Farthings site by end of March / beginning of April. The intention is to have the site ready (as described in the S106) for handover to the Parish Council by Autumn 2026. Work on the three buildings will commence after The Farthings work has started.

The Farthings Working Group members will be meeting next week and will be planning a public meeting for parishioners to explain the work between now and Autumn and invite their participation.

App Type : Full

Parish: Wreningham

Location : Land South West Of Hethel Road Wreningham Norfolk

Proposal : Construction of 2 bungalows & 1 chalet bungalow, along with 4.09 acres of land transferred to the Parish Council for Community Owned Land

Decision : Approval with Conditions (Delegated)

Date of decision : 24 February 2026

Planning Application – Elm Tree Farmhouse, Hethel Road

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Reference: 2026/0222

Applicant: Mr Jon Moon

Location: Land South Of Elm Tree Farmhouse, Hethel Road, Wreningham

Proposal: Approval of reserved matters for appearance, landscape, access, layout and scale following outline application 2023/2012 (see below)

Application Type: Reserved Matters

Comments to South Norfolk by 25 February 2026

Initial Planning Application

Reference: 2023/2012

Update: SNC planning have made a delegated decision for this application.
Date of decision : 17 November 2025; Decision : Approval with Conditions

Proposal: Outline permission for the erection of 1no. self-build dwelling with creation of new access (resubmitted)
Location: Land South Of Elm Tree Farmhouse Hethel Road
Applicant: Mr J Moon
Application Type: Outline Planning Permission

Comments to South Norfolk by 6 March 2025

ufm2_DL4_PC,TC_amended_plan,_infoDownload

Further Roadworks Closure on Hethel Road

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Dates : 19th to 31st October 2025 (previously 14th to 18th October 2025)

We have received a notice of additional roadworks on Hethel road from Harry Troise, Legal Officer, Planning Team (nplaw) [Tel: +44 1603 223856, Email: harry.troise@norfolk.gov.uk]

We are checking what they mean as it seems to seal off parts of Hethel Road.

Wreningham STRO13591 Continuation HMDownload

Closure of Hethel Road, Wreningham

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Update 8 October 17:00

We have received a message relating to Hethel Road.

“Hethel Road will close from tomorrow morning after the school bus has gone through.

“The closure is as a result of the high number of vehicle using Hethel Road as a shortcut around the roadworks on Wymondham Road instead of using the official diversion route. This has triggered a number of concerns from Parishioners who are concerned over the safety of pedestrian, school children and other road users due to the increased traffic over the past few days. Access for residents will be from the southern end only with no access through to Wymondham Road. Traffic will not be allowed into Hethel Road from the Wymondham Road end.

“The only exception will be for emergency vehicles and also the school bus which will be let through by a gateman and therefore school children can be picked up by the bus at the usual location.”

Update 8 October 12:00

As foreseen, a rat-run was established through the village as soon as the roadworks commenced on the B1135/C186. Residents have been vocal in contacting the authorities to report the dangers presented by the volume and waywardness of drivers through the village.

The Parish Council has recently been advised by the NCC Highways project manager that a road closure will be put in place at the point where Hethel Road meets the B1135 near Hethel Engineering.

It is expected that this will be in effect from either this afternoon or tomorrow morning. This will be manned and school buses will be permitted access to and from Hethel Road. We do not know the full details of this, but will let you know when they are available

Posting of Roadworks

The works announced will be to the East of Corporation Farm on the Wymondham Road. The road is anticipated to be closed from 6th to 31st October 2025, although it potentially could continue to January 2026. Please see the documents below:

Bracon Ash and Hethel STRO13413 PTDownload
250918 Hanlon noteDownload

Rat Run in Wreningham?

Note the diversion is quite long and it is possible to anticipate a rat run occurring through the village, along Hethel Road and Church Road. Given our narrow roads, and especially along Hethel Road, this could be a difficult time for residents. The Parish Council is in contact with NCC, the project manager and the Police to establish what steps could be taken to avoid a rat run becoming established through the village.

Revision to Planning Application – The Farthings (Hethel Road)

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Ref: 2024/1135
Proposal: Construction of 2 bungalows & 1 chalet bungalow, along with 4.09 acres of land transferred to the Parish Council for Community Owned Land
Location: Land South West of Hethel Road
Applicant: Mr Julian Wells
Application Type: Full Planning Permission

Please return comments by 8 August 2024, quoting reference 2024/1135

The revision is in response to NCC Highways comments about the nature of the road – see documents on SNC website. The documents which provide the revisions are dated from 24 July 2024. Considerations discussed with Parish Council, FWP Ltd and South Norfolk include:

  • Improved road safety – pinch point identified by NCC Highways – widened roadway
  • Loss of 37m of hedging removed to accommodate road widening (7m of which are the development site entrance). But, extensive new hedge to replace existing one which is of poor quality – which will need growing time.
  • New trees – to replace lost tree.
  • Informal passing place removed. It has grown to fill the ditch and impede local drainage.
  • Drainage in that section of road renewed and improved.
  • Public safety improved with a new public footpath on the inside of the hedge and in front of plot 3, taking people off Hethel Road and through to the Farthings entrance.

Damp Wreningham – 18 Feb ’24

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The last couple of days have been a mite damp – so I thought I’d take the phone and record a few puddles for posterity.

General dampness – a few choice puddles and full ditches

Followed by a close look at The Farthings. This had surface water, two new shallow ponds, an overflowing existing pond, plus full ditches.

Wreningham Sewage system – a reprise

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Prior to 2011 Wreningham did not have a mains sewage system. Many properties had either single or shared septic tanks. Residents had to make their own arrangements for emptying these tanks. For some this was an on-going problem as they were continually having to arrange for the emptying of their septic tanks to significant cost and inconvenience.

In 2011 Anglian Water installed a “First time sewage system” in Wreningham as part of their policy to reduce the number of septic tanks in the region. Instead of a gravity driven system, this project introduced a vacuum sewage system to serve Church Road, Hethel Road, Ashwellthorpe Road and Wymondham Road.

These pipes converged on a new main sewage pipe at the top of Mill Lane near the school. A pumping station was built half way along Mill Lane. It maintains the vacuum (or low pressure) which draws the sewage into the next part of the system. Here gravity takes the sewage through a new pipe to a pre-existing installation situated by Stephens Road in Top Row.

How does it work?

Image from airvac.com

The sewage pipe from the house uses gravity to deliver sewage to the chamber. This will trigger the trap to access the vacuum in the main pipe. This will then draw the sewage out of the chamber and away towards the pumping station in Mill Lane and from there onto the installation in Top Row.

Am I connected?

Whilst many decided to connect to the system at the time of installation, not all did.

One sign that you are connected is that the property will be in receipt of a regular sewage bills from Anglian Water!

The most obvious sign that you are connected is two part:

  1. A metal inspection cover for the below ground sewage chamber. This is often within the property’s curtilage, however some are in or near the road.
  • Note this may be shared by up to 4 properties
  1. A silver coloured, metal, cylindrical pipe set vertically in the roadside verge outside/near your property. “Anglian Water” is inscribed in blue on it with a designation number e.g. “B1”.
  • This pipe is the visible component of a vacuum trap which connects to a sewage pipe.

Who do I contact if it is not working correctly?

This sewage system is managed by Anglian Water. You will need to contact them in the event of any actual or apparent system failure:

Telephone: 0800 145 145 / Email: Customerservices@anglianwater.co.uk

Michael Hill, October 2023