There is a new planning application with 80 documents on SNC's website: https://info.south-norfolk.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=NFNGE1OQK5V00
Details are:
Ref 2014/2472 |Reserved matters approval for 13 dwellings at Chapel Road and 20 dwellings at Bunwell Road, following outline planning permission 2012/2016/O |Land At Chapel Road And Bunwell Road Spooner Row Norfolk
I have very limited opportunity to comment upon these applications which have already been effectively approved
However I nevertheless have some concerns about the precence of Japanese Knotweed being very close to the sewage treatment plant in Chapel road and exactly where the sewage and sewerage is going for both sites once it leaves.
If you have any other concerns please let me know but comments can probably only be made on matters which have not already been approved at the outline stage although I would be the first to admit that having 80 documents to look at it is very easy to miss something which may have already been addressed somewhere.
Do you know why the open space area has moved on the Bunwell Road site? I wasn't thrilled about the plans anyway but on the previous plans it showed the open space adjacent to Hill road all the way to The Bungalow and houses being built behind this. Now it doesn't start until almost on the junction of Hill Road/Bunwell Road with 2 properties backing on to Hill Road next to the open space. Meaning i will now have 2 properties directly opposite me with only the very narrow Hill Road between us.
You could ask them why they have changed from their original plans, but don't expect their answer to make any sense. Spooner Row is rural and we give up a lot in terms of services/facilities to live like that. Developers and planners couldn't care less how they impact on people's life - they just do what they like and public objections and concerns, clearly mean nothing. Are they going to provide other substantial improvements to the village to go with all these new houses? I doubt it.
With apologies for those who are already in the know, this application relates to reserved matters. What this means is that the the permission for the development has already been given BUT this application does allow you to comment upon the details provided for
Access for pedestrians, vehicles and cycles
Appearance
Landscaping , fences hedges, trees , banks , terracing , tennis courts and fountains ( Ha Ha) and other amenity features ( whatever that means)
Layout ( whether this includes services which leave the site such as sewerage and surface water drainage I am not at all sure)
and Scale, height, width and length of buildings
Other comments regarding the lack of sustainability , lack of school spaces , transport and shops whilst clearly relevant have already been decided upon at the outline stage by persons other than myself and a long time before I was involved in the planning process, but only as a Parish( Town ) Councillor. So what I am saying is do let you comments cover these matters but do not be surprised if they get chucked out by the planners or the Planning committee if not decided under delegated powers .
The fact that you object or approve is noted ( so do so please ) when we consider these matters at the Town Council but all too often they get ignored as happened recently at Cantley villas. I hope the District notes these as well but I am not at all sure. There seems to be a prevailing view that the Town Council Planning committee should cow tow to the controlling political party at the District who believes development should happen come what may. As the committee mirrors the political make up of the Town Council and the District this can be very frustrating for those who vote against these matters ( me ) when developments ignore lack of infrastructure and sustainability. Even our sitting MP recognises this as an issue for those who read his manifesto.
I hope this helps and does not put you off so if you want to comment please do.
Hi all, I have this evening sent over my objections via email to planning@s-Norfolk.gov.uk as I am very opposed to the development of these new houses in the village. I feel the infrastructure in the village is already below standard, and my family will be directly affected as there is going to be a building site opposite my house! We moved to the village last Denver from Norwich to start a family in a quiet rural village, and we are not happy that less than a year later we are being told that new houses are being built directly opposite. We bought our previous home from plan, so we are well aware how long these developments take to complete and the disruption they cause to the surrounding area. I urge as many people in the village to put in their objections asap, and hopefully we will be heard for once.
This layout has changed quite significantly since the original plan to which outline approval was given.
I can see no recorded reason as to why this change has taken place which has affected several nearby properties
I have yet to be notified but I assumimg this application will be discussed at the Wymondham Town Planning meeting to be held in the town council offices at 1800.
Members of the public who have concerns and issues should attend to give their views please as well register any comments upon the web site or with Chris Raine at South Norfolk who will then post them. If you wish to remain anaonymous please advise Mr Raine at the time.
In the meantime I will try and find out why the layout has changed and for what reason
Julian Halls
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Anonymous
Date:
RE: Planning Applicatiion Ref 2014/2472 - Reserved matters approval for Chapel Road and at Bunwell Road (33 dwellings)
My parents live directly next to the new Bunwell road site.
I can tell you that they are both mortified at the new plans which are totally different from those originally proposed. How is it that these plans could have been changed and seemingly passed without their knowledge or opportunity to contest the new plans? The original plan devastated them, but this sudden new change in layout totally affects their own property of which they have lived in for over 25 years!
Surely making such changes without notifying people who are so affected is illegal?
I have been looking at the revised plans too and it seems to be something to do with the Attenuation Lagoon in the front of the proposed development. There is also a smaller Pond in the far corner. I assume these will have to be fenced in
The access is not good - very close to the chicane. The developers indeed need to be taken to task about the change in plans.
Chapel Road
It would also appear that these plans have changed in that the access road is no longer in the middle of the proposed development but opposite the last house going towards Wymondham. There is another smaller access point by the track but both of these are on bends.
Anonymous wrote this excellent piece under the topic of 'school lane', it applies to this planning application. Which of these benefits are going to be implemented by the developer? The village hall has already provided its own improvements but the other 'promised' benefits would be very welcome for the village, particularly the introduction of a sustainable transport system. Removing the HGV route, cycle lanes, the introduction of a train and bus service would all help to reduce the volume of cars near the school and lessen the impact of all the extra cars to be generated by the building of so many new dwellings:
"I have been looking again at the leaflet distributed at the Public Exhibition on 18th July 2012 in which the developers say the following benefits are being considered as a consequence of these developments :
The improvement of and/or extension to the village hall
the possible introduction of sustainable transport measures, including an increased train service, an aspect we are discussing with Greater Anglia
additional and improved play equipment on the playing field
an improvement to the teaching accommodation at the school
the provision of new open space in the village
new allotments
relocation of pumping station to improve the current system
Is it South Norfolk Council who have the ability to hold the developers to some of the above promises? If so, perhaps they should be asked about additional car parking spaces at the school at least, and perhaps some of the other promises too ? It would be great if some of these could be implemented."
I was passing through Spooner Row and noticed just how attractive the open fields at Chapel Rd and Bunwell Rd were when entering and leaving the village. How unappealing these sites will be when they are clogged-up and covered with new houses. How many local people actually welcomed and wanted this significant amount of new development with a permanent character change to the village?
This RESERVED matters application , which will largely unaffect Chapel road , BUT will affect the Bunwell road development , which is now in two stages. The principal concern is that the second phase will bring about a very similar TOTAL development as originally proposed , and which was rejected by Wymondham TC and South Norfolk ( I assume)
The second phase will come later no doubt and it is this bit which is where all the controversy and justfiable concerns are centred.
This will be discussed at the Wymondham TC Planning sub at 1800 on Tuesday in the Town Hall BUT comments on what the second phase will bring may be ruled out of order ( they do not appear) AND this is not a revisit to the whole planning permission question which has been approved already.
I am not saying do not appear , but you will need to confine your comments to what is in front of you, Not what you think might happen which is very frustrating I know
Planning applications are refused or approved on their merits and not on party lines. Several applications receive support from all members of the committee no matter what party they represent. It is illegal for any member of the committee to approve or refuse applications on political grounds. They must base their decisions around national and local policies. Mr Halls knows this but he is trying to pretend otherwise.
I don't see any evidence that Mr Halls is making any statement anywhere on political grounds. The only post which brings any mention of politics into the equation is your response.
It's getting tedious seeing this kind of comment every time any Spooner Row planning issue is raised. As you rightly point out each application is considered on its own merits. Unfortunately this not always in compliance with national and local planning policies!
Yes it is illegal to makes decisions upon party lines.
Can you please explain to me how we prove this?
As the policies are so contradictory and open to interpretation it is impossible to do so and ANON knows this
What I do know is that is that very generous party donations occur ,( public record) usually to one particular party.
Once again, I ask the reader to make their own minds up as to whether they think this will influence the situation or not. Planning officers may make recomendations to the committee but if the matter is not delegated, it is the politicians who sit on the committee who make the decision and they do NOT have to follow the recommendation.
Elected members can also block delegation if they wish. Parish and Town Councils apparently no longer can do so according to an e mail I have had from Helen Mellors of SNDC. Democracy???
Once a planning decision is made there is no appeal against this , although of course Central Govt may call the application in but that is another matter all together and only rarely happens. It is not an appeal process.
I was at the Wymondham Town Council planning meeting last night. The dwellings on Chapel Rd were given the green light, however the dwellings on Bunwell Rd were rejected. They were rejected on the grounds that they haven't changed from the last proposal albeit they have only submitted one phase this time. This is excellent news as the current phase 1 proposal would ultimately lead to a second phase that could only be similar to that recently proposed.
Why cannot J Alston just be happy with the original plan. Does he or his planners really think that these cloak and dagger tactics of trying to phase his proposal are going to work? Why cannot he just be happy with the having the original proposal that all residents were happy with? He has to squeeze the sponge for all its worth by now proposing larger houses than those originally proposed on larger plots. The new plan also gives potential for a further two plots at a later date. This new stance from Alston & Co is so far removed from the original proposal that got him outline planning permission, that he really must think we are all thick! Had we have seen this coming i think everyone would have contested much more strongly outset.
Ultimately i suppose some people can never have enough money and do not care who they trample on and hurt in their hunger for capital gain. Its at least very encouraging that the council are to this point at least seeing sense.
This planning approval is for a total of 33 houses. There will be 13 houses at Chapel Rd and 20 at Bunwell Road. It looks like the Bunwell Rd site will be built in two phrases with 8 built in the first phrase. Why has the council now changed the on-line title for this planning approval from 20 to 8 dwellings? Planning permission is still in place for 20 houses. Is this to give the" appearance" that Spooner Row has less planning permissions for houses than it actually has? Planning permissions have well exceeded the allocations for this village and they continue to grow.
..... Why has the council now changed the on-line title for this planning approval from 20 to 8 dwellings? Planning permission is still in place for 20 houses......
The permission for 33 houses is still in place and it has become the norm to do this in smaller parcels nowadays and of course once started they can take as long as they like.
A similar thing is happening in Silfield in wymondham.
The concern , and the Planning committee ( at Wymondham ) are wise to this, is that if you do a part build which fixes the layout of those houses which have yet to be built may mean a final layout completely different from the outline plan and result in a development much less acceptable to those in the vicinity.
In Planning law there is nothing wrong with this, but morally it is reprehensible.
This has happened in Bunwell road and was objected to by Wymondham but there are some very odd planning decisions being made in South Norfolk who have the final say here. I, as most readers know, have no direct influence there.
All I can say to reassure, is that I am watching for this very carefully and will always vote against if it looks like some sharp and possibly profit driven change has been proposed. So far , my Planning colleagues at WTC have also voted with me. Just because something was given Planning permission in outline does not confer automatic approval at the final stage when layout and design details are finalised.
On this planning application on SNC's website, the Environment Agency's letter (dated 26th June) comments on the finished floor levels of the new houses at Bunwell Road, are to be raised by 150mm above the surrounding land levels to prevent them from flooding. It says, exceedence water flows will flow to the road and to public open spaces. Surely this development will increase the flood risk for this area including existing properties close by?
I can only agree and hope that the flow of water and the attenuation ponds cope with the water which might lead to flooding. At this stage there is certainly nothing I can do to help but if you wish ANON please let your District Councillor Jack Hornby know of your concerns
jackhornby@btinternet.com
He also has a south Norfolk e mail address but I do not have it I am afraid
