Category: Planning

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Greater Norwich Draft Local Plan delayed

You may have been wondering what has happened to the consultations on a new Greater Norwich Local Plan. Many of us put much effort in to responding to the earlier consultation on sites proposed for development. We were seriously concerned about the impact some of the proposed sites would have on wildlife and informal recreation in the Yare Valley. The completion and publication of a draft plan for submission to the next stage of public consultation was scheduled for September to October 2019.

It now seems that there are outstanding issues still to be resolved by the partner authorities: Norwich, Broadland, and South Norfolk district councils. The date now expected for the draft plan public consultation stage is now January – March 2020. You can find more information on the new Greater Norwich Plan here.

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Have your say on UEA “Sky House”

Now is your chance to influence the detail of the planning application UEA will be submitting for their Sky House. Do not miss the Public Consultation on Thursday 6th June from 4.00 to 7.00 pm in the Foyer Area on the ground floor of the Enterprise Centre (car parking is available in the Main Campus car park).

The Sky House, has been announced as a new multi-storey academic building to serve as an innovative centre for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. It will be located at the intersection of University Drive and Chancellors Drive and be designed as a new gateway and destination building for UEA. Find out more here.

The YVS will be examining the proposals closely to assess the impact on the Yare Valley. Please let YVS know of any of your concerns – but it is also important you respond personally to the UEA consultation.

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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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Three new threats to the Valley: 14th December Deadline

Greater Norwich Local Plan Consultations

Three new development sites that impact on the Yare Valley Green Space have been added to the list of sites already consulted upon.

The new consultation that includes the three sites will close at 5 pm on Friday 14th December.

YVS ask all concerned about the future of the Valley to respond without delay to the consultation.

To make responding easier, the details for the three sites are collected in a single document to download here.

Please write in to say how important the Yare Valley green space is to you, for informal recreation, for the protection of wildlife, for the well-being of our community, and that you support the policies that seek to protect our green space.

DETAILS OF THE SITES

Open the downloaded document of the sites. Enable editing.

Click on the blue sphere for a map of the site (perhaps press “Ctrl” and Click – “Ctrl” is usually at bottom left on keyboard).

Click on the tiny red pdf symbol to the right of the blue sphere to get details of the site application.

WAYS OF RESPONDING

  1. Online: Click on the writing pencil. You will be asked to register and/or log in. Proceed as directed to make your comment.
  2. By email: Email your comments to gnlp@norfolk.gov.uk. Remember to quote the site reference number.
  3. By letter: Remember to quote the site reference number. Send to GNLP Consultation, County Hall, Martineau Ln, Norwich NR1 2DG

The GNLP team would prefer you use method 1. or 2., but they do not wish anyone to be deterred from responding. For further help on responding ring 01603 306603.

MORE INFORMATION

The GNLP consultation site is at http://www.gnlp.org.uk/.

For more information about Planning Policies relevant to the Valley go to Planning. 

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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.

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Elisabeth Frink Sculptures at the UEA

UEA hope to acquire two Elisabeth Frink Sculptures, Mirage I and Mirage II to display as part of their Sculpture Park.  Positioned on the north-west edge of the lake, the sculptures would be viewable from the Sainsbury Centre and the Yare Valley Walk. The unveiling of the sculptures at the Sainsbury Centre will coincide with Elisabeth Frink: Humans and other Animals, a major exhibition celebrating the work of Dame Elisabeth Frink born in East Anglia in 1930. More details are to be found in Planning Application 18/01120/F at Norwich City Planning.

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Norwich City Council raises concerns on McCarthy and Stone Bluebell Road Development

Norwich City Council has still to make a decision on the  proposals for Phase 2 of McCarthy and Stone Phase 2 development. Norwich City Council has serious concerns about the proposals, and you can see the details of the concerns on the Planning Portal.  Search under reference 18/00265/F.   Click on the documents tab, and then “View associated documents”. Select document dated 10 July.

Concerns include: Planning use class; Design, layout and character; Transport; Flood risk; Renewable energy/sustainability; and Open space.

YVS shares Norwich City Council’s concerns and wishes them well in their continuing negotiations with the developers.