Spooner Row Message Board

Date: Nov 18, 2016

Planning, the Wymondham Area action Plan and Spooner row

Date: Nov 18, 2016

If this is the case, then South Norfolk District Council has not conformed to the legal responsibilities of its Local Plan. The Council has developed this legally binding document (so we are told) then has just gone off and done whatever it wants. This is not treating local people fairly nor respectfully. What is the District Council's problem? Maybe the profile on what is happening needs to be raised?

Date: Nov 18, 2016

It does appear that South Norfolk District Council is using the 'smoke and mirrors' technique to destroy a small village. Some already well-heeled land.owners are going to become extremely wealthy at the cost of the mere serfs and SNDC is quite happy for this to happen it seems.

Hardly surprising that homes in the village are appearing in Estate Agents adverts.

Do we have any news on the requested meeting Julian? I personally think that it should not just be 2 delegates, many people want some answers from 'the horses mouth'. Not to have to go to the pub afterwards, as was suggested by a contributor, to hear 2ndhand the intentions of our elected counsellors. We all have the right to speak and be spoken to by the people we elected.

Date: Nov 19, 2016

I absolutely agree, many have concerns that need answers. We will be deprived of this if the Council only speak to one or two locals and then portray themselves as having engaged with the community and then carry on as usual. All residents from Spooner Row should be entitled to be involved in a meeting and given accountable explanations. Otherwise, going by previous meetings, it could just be a waste of time as they just waffle and go and do whatever they wanted to do anyway.

Spooner Row is a rural village where people have chosen to make their homes and have invested much time and money. Why should developers be allowed to come along, make a mint themselves and ruin it for ordinary residents. Also, the more houses that are built, the more money the Council makes for itself in levies.

The District Council's Local Plan offers no protection and in practice provides no planning foresight. Masses of financial resources were poured into its creation from our taxes, yet it is useless and is overwritten because the Council botched-up it's 5-year housing land supply. (No 5-year housing land supply = lots of speculative house building). The obvious question is, why didn't the Council make immediate efforts to put this right and get a 5-year housing land supply in place so that its Local Plan could be properly applied? This has been going on for at least a year (maybe two) and in the meantime, about 4-times the allocated number of houses have received speculative planning permissions here (and look at what they have done to Suton - permissions are really out of control!).

To Julian, as our Parish councillor (not District), I hope the District Council don't try and censor you again because you have spoken out. It is quite unbelievable that they censored you in the first place. It looks like Orwellian practices are alive and kicking in South Norfolk.

Date: Dec 2, 2016

The complete unedited reply. I have not made comment at this time.

2 December 2016

Dear Mr Halls,

Spooner Row and the GNDP Proposals

Thank you for your email of 21 November 2016 to the Chief Executive, Sandra Dinneen. As Director responsible for this area of work, Sandra has asked me to reply on her behalf to the points you have raised. I am aware that you also emailed my Planning Policy Manager, Adam Nicholls, on 21 November raising some more detailed questions about Spooner Row and the GNDP, in follow-up to a request for a meeting with Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP) officers, so my response below does not duplicate the answers Mr Nicholls will give you shortly.

Firstly, the adopted Wymondham Area Action Plan does allocate a minimum of 2,200 new homes over the period to 2026, but further consents granted have increased this number somewhat. South Norfolk Council refused the Wymondham Rugby Club relocation and housing application (for up to 390 dwellings), and you will know that this was then appealed, and eventually granted planning permission by the Secretary of State earlier I the year. Similarly, the Gonville Hall application was also refused by the Council, but was granted permission on appeal.

A significant part of the reason that these appeals were allowed is the current lack of a five-year land supply in the Norwich Policy Area. I can assure you that officers and councillors across Greater Norwich are working extremely hard to try to secure a five-year land supply at the earliest opportunity, and Broadland District Council (BDC) is playing its part. I am pleased to inform you that BDC adopted its Site Allocations DPD in May 2016, and the North East Growth Triangle Area Action Plan in July 2016. It is also unfair to claim BDC is not facing its own share of applications and appeals on unallocated “five-year supply” sites; I can assure you that it is. Just like South Norfolk Council, BDC is working hard to try to secure early delivery of its allocated sites, and even in recent weeks it resolved to grant consent for about 1,000 homes on the current Norwich Golf Club site in Hellesdon.

In relation to the suitability analysis for strategic growth in Spooner Row you refer to, the GNDP papers make very clear that this is early-stage, high-level work. A total of 22 settlements and sectors have been assessed for potential suitability for strategic-scale growth (of more than 1000 dwellings). Considerable further work will be necessary to better develop the evidence base and assess the submitted sites, and further papers on this matter will be considered by the GNDP Board in March 2017, and then in September 2017, when the choice of preferred sites and policies will be presented and then subject to full public consultation. I cannot pre-judge the conclusions that will be reached for future growth in Spooner Row in the GNLP (or, indeed, for any other location) – clearly there are advantages and disadvantages to significant growth in Spooner Row, as identified in the GNDP paper – but I can assure you that there will be full public consultation on the Preferred Directions version of the GNLP in the autumn of 2017.

Finally, whilst I share some of your frustration that the plan-led system cannot always prevent development of some sites that the Council would not wish to see developed (the site for 300 dwellings in relation to the Wymondham Rugby Club relocation being an example), I do wish to re-assure you that it is the express intention of both officers and elected councillors of the Council to try to secure sustainable development throughout the district, and that is what we strive to do every single day. The Council works hard at the pre-application, application and post-application stages, as well as through the Local Plan and GNLP, to try to secure the very best outcomes for the residents and workers of the district.

Yours sincerely,

Tim Horspole

Director of Growth and Localism

Date: Dec 2, 2016

Just a load of words and hasn't really answered Julian's questions. Sustainability? I have seen no evidence relating to anything said in Mr Hospole's letter put into practice. Past experience of public consultations is that they are just a formality of going through the motions and no real notice taken of public input.

Why does the letter include details about the development plans for Wymondham? They have considered Spooner Row's village status as a completely separate entity and nothing to do with Wymondham under their Planning Policy 'strategic growth' plans. I find this response letter disappointing.

Date: Dec 9, 2016

Having left this a while my analysis to Mr Horspole's reply.

'Yes we are being rolled over by the developers and even the Sec of state on account of lack of 5 year land supply.' I know that !!

He failed to address properly the fact that Broadland have not got their act together or respond to my request to kick a**e

He just about acknowledges that the joint core strategy has failed , as has the wonderful 'sound and legal plan' approved by South Norfolk, but other than saying 'we are all working hard' offers no solutions

The 'very best outcomes' is a spectacular and evidential failure for us here in Spooner row and wymondham.

He alludes briefly to the the very taciturn e mail I sent to Adam Nichols , which I have not had a reply to, so I will ignore his 'this is early days response' and this will be 'the subject of a full public consultation ' UNTIL I get a response from Adam Nichols

That said in my and others experience these consultations are exercises where they go through the motions and do what they want to do anyway. It is sad to say that the lack of anything from our district and county councillors on this matter in support or otherwise, begs the question as to what are they doing? Ostriches and heads in the sand come to mind.

Date: Dec 18, 2016

Mr Horspole claims and assures us in his letter that officers and councillors across Greater Norwich are working extremely hard to try and secure a five-year land supply at the earliest opportunity. What he hasn't said is what is South Norfolk Council actually doing about this. South Norfolk Council made some big errors resulting in the lack of a five-year land supply a long time back, yet has still not sorted this out. Why is it taking them so long? In the meantime, lots of houses are being built under this lack of housing legislation. Mr Horspole is the Director of Growth and Localism, yet it seems there is lots of 'growth but very little 'Localism'. He needs to ensure that South Norfolk Council hurries up and delivers its five-year land supply as its about time one was implemented. This situation has made a total joke of the housing allocations on allocated sites under the South Norfolk Local Plan, e.g. Spooner Row was supposed to have just a small number of new houses due to its unique character as described. I agree with Mr Horspole, we expect the very best outcome for residents and workers too.

Date: Jan 21, 2017

Tim Horspole said in his letter"...working extremely hard to try to secure a five-year land supply at the earliest opportunity..." has it now been secured? If not, when?

Date: Jan 22, 2017

it was promised in Spring 2016 !!!

Strongly suggest you don't hold your breath

Date: Jan 24, 2017

I think the current Local Plan in South Norfolk has been a failure as the council has not kept to the development limits that it promotes. There is no evidence that the council will act any differently with the next level of costly forward local planning, which has now commenced.

Below is a statement from GOV.UK public website. My opinion in relation to that statement is that I do not think our Adopted Local Plan is providing a development framework for Spooner Row (and Suton), I do not think we are being treated fairly in how our community is being developed, our views as local people have been ignored. South Norfolk's Local Plan is not working for us. What is the point of the Government aiming for every area in England to have an adopted local plan when South Norfolk Council does not keep to it:

From: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-plans:

Introduction

The Planning Inspectorate supports the Government’s aim for every area in England to have an adopted local plan. A local plan sets out local planning policies and identifies how land is used, determining what will be built where. Adopted local plans provide the framework for development across England.

Local peoples’ views are vital in shaping a local plan, helping determine how their community develops. Development should be consistent with the national planning policy framework.

The Minister of State for Housing and Planning made a written statement about local plans in July 2015. Alongside this, the Secretary of State wrote to the Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate setting out the Government’s position on examining local plans.

Date: Jan 24, 2017

I am afraid the above is an example of 'Government Speak'. I am becoming very disillusioned by it all but we must keep plugging away and respond to applications as we see fit - Spooner Row residents have shown themselves very capable of constructive objection/criticism now and in the past. We just have to keep it up.

Date: Feb 18, 2017

Don't forget to keep up to date (if you can bear the boredom) on the latest from the Greater Norwich development partnership Board - The GNLP report for 20 January 2017 is now published: http://www.greaternorwichlocalplan.org.uk/

Also scroll down using the green buttons on the left-hand side, to the one labelled 'monitoring', the latest monitoring document is dated 1/2/2017, it is a whopping 287 pages long! Do a 'word search' for Spooner Row and you will see that there is a Five Year supply forecast table on page 59. For such a 'significant' document, they could have at the very least, got their information and figures correct for Spooner Row. These Sites have already exceeded the numbers in planning consents issued through the "lack of a five year land supply", namely on Chapel Rd, Bunwell Rd and School Lane. This lack of correct 'monitoring' detail is disappointing.

These planning forecast documents could be considered as unnecessarily cumbersome and to put people off from reading them and would probably cost a small fortune to produce. I would rather my council tax money was not used in this way, but rather instead on the employment of staff who produce more worthwhile public services that have recently been cut-back.