Category: Applications

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Colney Burial site gets planning go ahead

At a Zoom meeting today, the South Norfolk District Council Development Committee approved plans for the extension of the Colney Burial site. The extension borders on the River Yare and the Bowthorpe fishing lakes. It takes the form of a narrow strip close to the river connecting to a larger area to the east of the existing site

At the meeting Colney Parish and the Yare Valley Society expressed concerns before approval was given.

The Yare Valley Society pushed for the Development to safeguard, and where possible enhance, the landscape character of the valley, and for there to be no risk of pollution to the river from the burial site. Colney Parish drew particular attention to the regularity of flooding of some of the site from the river, and the increased pollution that could result.

Flooding near existing burial ground

By a vote of 4 to 1 approval was given subject to a number of conditions that went part way to addressing concerns.

Protection of the landscape and ecology will be addressed by a Landscape and Woodland Management Plan. This will include a commitment to increase the proportion of native trees and to safeguard local wildlife. The protection of a heronry will be included in the plan.

The pollution issue is complex. The Tier Two Groundwater Risk Assessment Survey for the site concluded the site to be high risk with the close proximity of the River Yare contributing significantly to the overall risk.

The Environmental Agency, as recently as November 2019, reported the Yare had unacceptable levels of chemical pollution, and that targets for improvement are likely to be missed. YVS argued that now is not the time to be accepting further pollution of our rivers by new developments. Adding more pollution to the river would not bring the pollution problem under control and would result in further damage to our river ecosystems. Flooding would add a further unknown in assessing the likelihood of river pollution.

The approval was given subject to groundwater monitoring of the site, and a flood evacuation plan being in place.

The YVS continues to be concerned about possible contamination of the river and the effectiveness of monitoring. On the positive side, an effective implementation of a Landscape and Woodland Plan should safeguard the visual attractiveness and the ecology of this part of the Valley for the foreseeable future.

Please note that an Eastern Daily Press article on the decision entitled “The hearses will have to go on boats” should have given the correct names of the representatives of Colney Parish and the Yare Valley Society as Bee Korn and John Elbro  respectively.

 

 

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Widespread opposition to Government White Paper Proposals

A big thank you to all who responded to the Yare Valley Society call to respond to the Government’s White Paper “Planning for the Future” Consultation. It was not an easy undertaking. The consultation ended on 29 October.

Another thank you if your added your name to the CPRE (Council for the Preservation of Rural England) petition against some of the key proposals.

The YVS committee saw the government’s proposals as a major attack on local democracy and a threat to the ability of the YVS and its members to safeguard the green space of the Yare Valley in the future.

We are not alone.

On 8th December the CPRE with other campaigners headed to Westminster, to hand in 310,265 signatures calling for the government to stop its “disastrous plans” to change our planning laws.

The CPRE writes:

“We commissioned a poll of MPs and found that over half of Conservative MPs weren’t happy with the proposals – the same proposals that had come from their own party! So it came as no surprise to us to see a fiery debate in the House of Commons where 46 MPs spoke out against the plans – and even more wanted to, but the debate simply ran out of time.

Of these 46 MPs publicly voicing their unhappiness with the suggested changes, a huge 33 were from the Conservative Party – including former Prime Minister Theresa May. The issues that they were raising were just as we’ve been saying for many months: that the plans would lead to building on green spaces near to where people live (the very local green spaces that have been so important to so many of us during the pandemic year); that fewer homes that people could actually afford to live in would be built; and that the chances for people to get involved in shaping the future of where they live would be eroded.

And it’s not just the government’s own MPs who have problems with the plans. Organisations from across the environmental, housing and planning sectors have come together to say a big NO to the existing proposals. We were one of more than 30 groups who sent a letter to the Prime Minister warning of the disastrous impacts on nature and people if he dismantled the planning system.”

YVS will be looking for a positive response from the government to address the concerns raised. If it fails to do so YVS will be asking members to take action again.

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Rabbit Goddess and Sun’s Roots Sculptures proposed for Sainsbury Sculpture Park

The two sculptures, by LEIKO IKEMURA and PHILLIP KING respectively, are proposed in planning applications 20/00933/F and   20/00934/L. To get the overall picture the best document when starting any search is the “Heritage Impact Assessment”

The sculptures can be expected to add interest, fun and novelty to the Yare Valley Walk and the Yare Valley Society committee have no plans to object to the applications. If you would like to make a comment you should contact Norwich Planning Department using the references above before 1st September 2020.

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Plans resubmitted for Bartram Mowers Site

McCarthy and Stone have put forward revised plans. They include 32 bungalows, 18 apartments, a resident’s pavilion, and an area of Public Open Space, along with new pedestrian links from Bluebell Road to the Yare Valley Walk.

You can view the plans and submit your own comments at https://planning.norwich.gov.uk, under reference 19/00911/F. Comment should be submitted by Thursday 6th August.

In terms of general layout and how it might impact on the Yare Valley, a starting point is the document Revised Landscaping details dated July 16 2020. A Management Plan states: “To the south western edge of the scheme, areas of woodland copse with standard trees set in wildflower meadow are proposed as part of the Open Space proposals which lie to the west of the development. These form part of a transitional landscape between the proposed built development and the valley of the River Yare. Informal groups of parkland trees within the open space allow a vista along the main vehicular route of the development and out across the open space to the river valley beyond. A metal estate rail is to form the boundary between the residential development and the open space beyond, with an edge of bulbs within grass.”

As with the earlier plans for this site the Yare Valley Society committee will submit its comment. The committee consider “A metal estate rail” with “an edge of bulbs within grass” to be totally inadequate to minimise the impact of the built development on the adjoining public space and the valley, and it is concerned about the failure to link the space with the existing footpath on the south east edge of the development.

A copy of the Yare Valley Society comments on this application are now available here.

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Bartram Mowers submit revised Bluebell Road Plans

Bartram Mowers Ltd have submitted a revised set of plans for their site adjacent to the McCarthy and Stone development on the Bluebell Road (NR4 7LG). They include the demolition of existing buildings and erection of 32 bungalows, 21 apartments, a residents pavilion, access and ancillary development.

The Application Number is 19/00911/F. Much remains the same as the previous application for this site, and so most of the comments made on that application continue to apply to the present one. You can view the application using the Norwich Planning Public Access system available here. Comments to the City Council should be in by 24th March 2020.

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New Planning Application for UEA/Rugby Club Car Park

A new Planning Application (Reference 2019/0521) has been submitted to South Norfolk District Council for the expansion of the UEA Sports Field Car Park adjacent to Colney Lane. Permissions have already been obtained for the expansion of the car park. These  relate to the UEA Rugby Club development; but there are some significant differences between the latest application, and the previous permissions.

The search page for the application is here , insert the reference 2019/0521.

The Yare Valley Society has a number of concerns about the new application:

1. The impermeable surface proposed for the extra parking spaces will result in increased water run-off

2. Proposals for new lighting, and the impact of resulting light pollution on wildlife

3. The grossly inadequate arrangements for cyclists attempting to negotiate the proposed entrance to the car park. This is on the Norwich Pink Pedalway – a key commuting route to the Hospital and Research Park.

The Yare Valley Society has made formal objection to the proposals.

Please have a look at the proposals and send in your own comments. 

 

 

 

 

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YVS and local Parishes join in protest

YVS and Colney and Cringleford Parishes have written a joint letter to South Norfolk District Council Planning Department expressing their concern that UEA has failed to address important issues raised by objectors to UEA’s most recent Rugby Cub planning application (2018/1830).

An email dated 26th September 2018 from the UEA’s Agent claims to respond to objections, but instead ignores any reference to many of the legitimate planning concerns that the objectors, including the CPRE, have raised.

A major concern (amongst several) is that car parking spaces are built within the Yare Valley protected green space for a Rugby Club facility that does not exist and may never exist. The text of the letter can be found here.

Go to our Planning page for more background information on this application.

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Latest Rugby Club application 2018/1830

More information and comment on this application is on now on our Planning page.

The YVS view is that SNDC should stand by the conditions of the original approval, and refuse the application, to avoid possible unintended consequences of approval being granted.

The Yare Valley Society objection letter to this application can now be viewed here

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UEA seeks to change conditions on Rugby Club development

Planning Application 2018/1830

The UEA is applying to split the Rugby Club Sports Park Development Approval at Colney Lane into two phases, and to vary conditions 2, 3 ,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 27, 28 and 31 from planning permission 2016/0233 placed upon the Development

Documents relating to the application can be found at South Norfolk Planning. Search under 2018/1830. It is best to start with the “Section 73 Application Statement” under the documents tab.

YVS is examining the proposals closely, and observations about the application will appear on the Planning Page in shortly.

The closing date for comments on the Application is 23 September 2018.

You will have a chance to discuss the application at our AGM on the 12 September, (see Home page). Please be there to make your views known and influence the YVS response.

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Uncertainty over Rugby Club Development at UEA

The Rugby Club has so far failed to conclude its negotiations with the developer of its current facilities at Beeston Hyrne. UEA admits in a current planning application with South Norfolk District Council (2018/1830) that the “Timescales regarding when the Rugby Club will be in a position to enter into a long lease are currently unknown”.

The UEA in its new planning application is seeking to split the development into two phases in an effort to secure permission for a Phase 1 which is for “additional parking for users of the sports area and nearby facilities on the NRP”. To achieve this, it is applying for a number of conditions placed upon the original application approval to be changed.

 What if the Rugby Club negotiations are not concluded successfully? What then is the future of Phase 2? Will a car park have been extended in a sensitive area for a facility that does not exist? Will safeguarding conditions have been by-passed?

See the news item above for accessing the application documents.