Consultation – National Grid – Norwich to Tilbury

by

Targeted consultations on proposed changes to Norwich to Tilbury – Thursday 30 January until Monday 3 March 2025

From April to July 2024, we held a public consultation, inviting local communities to share their views on our proposals. This period of formally consulting the public is called a ‘statutory consultation’ because it is required by the Planning Act 2008 for major infrastructure projects which need to apply for a type of planning consent called a Development Consent Order (DCO). You can find out more on our project website (nationalgrid.com/norwich-to-tilbury)

We are grateful for the feedback we have received from residents and community representatives across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. Following our public consultation, we have carefully reviewed all the feedback, and we have identified some locations where we could, potentially, make some changes to the proposals. 

Before we make any decisions, we are going back to consult with those people living near these proposed changes. We have a duty to develop the most appropriate proposal, taking account of feedback from local people and their representatives – including parish councils – alongside all the environmental and technical assessments.  

We are phasing the consultations starting with locations in Norfolk and Suffolk from Thursday 30 January until Monday 3 March 2025 and will follow up next month with locations in Essex and Thurrock. This is a non-statutory consultation – i.e. we are not required by the Planning Act to undertake this activity but we are keen to hear your views about the proposals. While these are local, targeted non-statutory consultations anyone can take part, and we have published all materials on our project website. 

Public webinars

To give everyone an opportunity to ask the project team questions, we’re holding three webinars via Microsoft Teams.  

You can sign up for a webinar on our website – nationalgrid.com/norwich-to-tilbury

  • Norfolk – 11 February 2025 at 6:00 pm 
  • Norfolk and Suffolk – 12 February 2025 at 12 noon 
  • Suffolk – 13 February 2025 at 6:00 pm 

Feedback

Feedback can be provided via our usual channels, by: 

Sending us an email: contact@n-t.nationalgrid.com  

Writing to us (no stamp required) at: FREEPOST N TO T 

Our online feedback questionnaire at: nationalgrid.com/norwich-to-tilbury

We also have a freephone project information line open Monday to Friday between 9 am and 5:30 pm: 0800 915 2497  

We will review all the feedback we receive and carefully consider it as we refine our proposals ahead of the submission of our application for a DCO later this year. 

If you would like further information or a briefing on the targeted consultations, please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

Yours faithfully    

Simon Pepper 

Project Director   

The Farthings Drop-in, 20th January 2025

by

Thanks to Hughie, Mick, Sue, Liz, Mike, Karen and Jean at the village hall today. They set up (and took down) the Farthings’ documentation; served tea, coffee & bisuits; explained the presentations; and answered questions from those who dropped by.

The Drop In was an opportunity for villagers to examine all the documentation in one place and to see the definition of The Farthings at the point of transfer to community ownership. We have come a long way but the negotiations are not yet complete. The documents on view form part of the S106 agreement (being drawn up by solicitors) which will be ratified by South Norfolk Council, FWP Ltd and Wreningham Parish Council. These will be discussed, agreed and finalised over the next few weeks.

Available for inspection at the Drop In were:

  • Specification for Community Owned Land
  • A large plan view of the site
  • A Rossi Long produced surface water management scheme
  • List of community projects
  • Commuted sum calculations (this is designed to cover the annual running costs of The Farthings)
  • Logo art work.

We thank the visitors for their interest in the project; for closely examining the documentation; for re-stating their support for the project; and for their intent to help out when the time comes for hands-on activity. Two District Councillors attended and were complimentary about depth and breadth of the work of the Working Group; they expect this to be a successful project; it has their support and they look forward to it developing into a well-loved Wreningham site in the years to come.

The Farthings tab in the main menu, will be updated with additional information as it comes available. If you wish to be included in the email list please contact wren.farthings@gmail.com.

South Norfolk Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan (VCHAP) – consultation

by

The South Norfolk Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan (VCHAP) Regulation 19 Pre-submission Addendum will be published between 9am on Monday 12 August and 5pm on Monday 7 October 2024, in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. Representations are invited on the legal compliance and soundness of the Plan. Any representations submitted must be received by South Norfolk Council within this timeframe.

The purpose of the VCHAP is to deliver growth that will support the vitality of the rural communities of South Norfolk. Following the Regulation 19 Publication in 2023 one of the proposed sites was no longer considered deliverable and another needed to be reduced in scale, which led to a shortfall in the overall target number of new homes (minimum of 1,200).

The proposed Addendum includes the additional and amended sites proposed for allocation within the VCHAP to address this shortfall. The document also includes a number of other focused changes to the proposed VCHAP. The published document only deals with the changes that are being proposed to the Regulation 19 VCHAP document that was published in 2023. 

The Addendum and supporting documents can be viewed at: www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/vchap.

During the publication period, the proposed Addendum will be available to view at:

·       Online at –www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/vchap

·       South Norfolk Council offices – The Horizon Centre, Broadland Business Park, Peachman Way, Norwich, NR7 0WF (open Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm)

·       The Octagon – Mere Street, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4AH (open Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm)

·       Libraries in South Norfolk – visit the Norfolk County Council website for details of your local branch (www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries-local-history-and-archives)

  • Millennium Library – The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich NR2 1AW (open Mon-Fri: 10am-7pm; Sat: 9am-5pm; Sun: 10.30am-4.30pm)

Supporting documents are also available to view online at the above locations. Further information and background material will also be available through a ‘virtual exhibition’ which can be accessed during the publication period at: https://vchap.exhibition.app.

Anyone wishing to submit a formal representation on the content of the plan may do so, in writing, and before 5.00pm on 7th October 2024. These can be submitted online, via the website listed above or using one of our hard copy representation forms which are available at the locations listed above. This will help ensure that submitted representations are in the prescribed format and can be taken into account in the examination of the plan. Completed hard copy forms should be posted to the South Norfolk Council office address listed above.

For further information and enquiries, please contact the Council’s Place Shaping Team on (01508) 533805 or at localplan.snc@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk.

Revision to Planning Application – The Farthings (Hethel Road)

by

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.

Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP)

by

13 March 2024 update – We have received a letter stating that the GNLP has been adopted, see below:

Nrw-Final-Adoption-StatementDownload

The GNLP was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in July 2021 for examination.  Examination hearings, led by Independent Inspectors appointed by the Secretary of State took place during 2022 and 2023. The Inspectors considered that a number of main modifications were required to the plan in order for it to be considered sound and legally compliant and consultation on these took place between the 25 October and 6 December 2023.

The Greater Norwich Development Partnership is writing to notify you that the Inspectors’ Report on the GNLP has now been received.  The Inspectors’ conclusion is that with the recommended main modifications the GNLP is sound.

The Inspectors’ Report and appendices of the Main Modifications will be available to view on the GNLP website at www.gnlp.org.uk.  Hard copies will be available for public viewing during normal office hours at the following locations:

  • Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council offices, The Horizon Centre, Broadland Business Park, Peachman Way, Norwich, NR7 0WF. Mon. – Fri. 08.30 – 17.00 (by appointment).
  • Norwich City Council, City Hall, St Peters Street, Norwich, NR2 1NH (main entrance – please ask to be directed. Mon. – Fri. 08.45 – 13.00 & 14.00 – 17.00).
  • Norfolk County Council, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DH (by appointment) and
  • South Norfolk information point at The Octagon, Mere Street, Diss IP22 4AH (Mon. – Fri. 09.00 – 17.00)

Please contact the GNLP team on 01603 306603 or email gnlp@norfolk.gov.uk to make an appointment.

You can also view the Inspectors Report on the GNLP website in Norfolk libraries using their computers.

Formal adoption of the GNLP is scheduled to take place on the following dates:

  • Norwich City Council – 12 March 2024
  • South Norfolk Council – 25 March 2024
  • Broadland District Council – 28 March 2024

Consultation on the Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP) – Proposed Main Modifications

by

A new consultation has opened by the Greater Norwich Development Partnership inviting comments on the proposed Main Modifications which are required to the GNLP following submission to the Planning Inspectorate in July 2021.

There is a lot of documentation in the GNLP if you wish to review the whole plan. Specific mentions are made in the GNLP of places near to Wreningham: Hethel, Wymondham, Bracon Ash and Ketteringham.

Consultation is from Wednesday 25 October and will conclude at midday on Wednesday 6 December 2023.

The Inspectors’ final conclusions on the GNLP which will take account of representations submitted in response to this consultation.  The Main Modifications have been subject to updated Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment which are also available to comment on along with Policies Map changes. 

Representations should be made regarding legal compliance and soundness issues only.  This is not an opportunity to reraise matters relating to other parts of the submitted GNLP that have already been considered by the Inspectors during the Examination or to submit further evidence.  The Inspectors will only consider representations relating specifically to the proposed Main Modifications and other consultation documents before reaching their final conclusions on the GNLP.

The Partnership is also publishing Additional Modifications which it intends to make on adoption of the GNLP, along with other documents for information only.  These are outside the scope of the Main Modifications consultation and comments are not invited on them.  They do not form part of the Inspectors’ examination of the Plan.    

Accessing the consultation documents

The consultation documents will be available to view on the GNLP website, www.gnlp.org.uk.  Hard copy is available during normal office hours at:

  • Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council offices, The Horizon Centre, Broadland Business Park, Peachman Way, Norwich NR7 0WF. Mon–Fri 8.30-17.00 (by appointment).
  • Norwich City Council, City Hall, St Peters Street, Norwich NR2 1NH (main entrance – please ask to be directed.  Mon-Fri 8.45-13.00 & 14.00-17.00);
  • Norfolk County Council, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2DH (by appointment);
  • South Norfolk information point at The Octagon, Mere Street, Diss IP22 4AH (Mon-Fri 9.00-17.00).

Contact the GNLP team using the details below to make an appointment.

You can also view the consultation documents in Norfolk libraries using their computers.

Making Representations

The preferred way is online using the consultation system www.gnlp.org.uk.  Alternatively, you can submit a response form by email or post:  either download a response form from our website or contact us by email (gnlp@norfolk.gov.uk) or by telephone (01603 306603) to request one.

General Enquiries: 01603 306603     GNLP@norfolk.gov.uk

Consultation – Gypsy & Traveller Sites

by

Mike Burrell, Greater Norwich Planning Policy Manager, writes:

“A focused consultation on sites for Gypsies and Travellers will commence at 09.00 on Monday 30 January and will close at 17.00 on Monday 13 March 2023. 

“We are seeking views on sites put forward for consideration for providing residential pitches for Gypsies and Travellers.  It is important to note that no final decisions have been made on sites at this stage.  The consultation creates a further opportunity for landowners to propose more sites for Gypsies and Travellers.

“We are not consulting on any other sites that we asked for views on during previous GNLP consultations.

“You can find information about the sites, along with supporting information and useful FAQs, online at www.gnlp.org.uk, where you can also comment.

“The easiest and most efficient way to make comments on the consultation is to submit them online at www.gnlp.org.uk.  Alternatively, you can respond in writing using a response form which can be downloaded from www.gnlp.org.uk or requested by phone or email.  Written representations should then be emailed or sent to us by post. 

“Contact details are: Tel:  01603 306603 E:  gnlp@norfolk.gov.uk Post:  Greater Norwich Local Plan, Room 428, City Hall, St Peters St, Norwich NR2 1NH

“Please contact us if you need consultation information in a different format.

“All responses must be received by 17.00 on Monday 13 March 2023.  No representations will be accepted outside of this period.“