Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP)
What exactly is GNLP and what is its purpose?
The Greater Norwich Development Partnership (GNDP), which is made up of Broadland District Council, Norwich City Council and South Norfolk Council, is working together with Norfolk County Council to prepare the Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP). The Broads Authority is also part of the GNDP but produces a separate local plan. The Greater Norwich Local Plan will set out a vision for the future growth of the area. It must tie in with Government policy, regional and local strategies for the economy, transport etc. It will include strategic planning policies to guide development, and identify sites for new homes, jobs and infrastructure. It will set out what is going to be developed, where it will happen and how it will be achieved. Once adopted, the local plan will be used when decisions on planning applications are made. Sites for around 35,700 homes are already identified in the existing local plans or have planning permission. This is 83% of the sites needed up to 2036 (in total for around 42,900 homes). Sites for the additional growth needed to 2036 (for 7,200 additional homes) will be identified in the Local Plan.
What are the implications for a rural community?
It is proposed that the GNLP will provide for growth in appropriate locations, including villages, across the plan area. The latter is intended to be through “Village Clusters” based on primary school catchments. To reduce additional car journeys and encourage healthy and active lifestyles, and reduce the risks to soundness, it is proposed to limit new housing allocations to sites within the clusters with good access to a primary school and a “safe route to school”. The scale of growth in any cluster will reflect school capacity or ability to grow, plus the availability of other accessible services and subject to other considerations such as infrastructure, natural and heritage environments.