Council officer Gwyn Jones and councillor Bert Bremner at the Three Score development site at Bowthorpe. Photo: Bill Smith

After 40 years, scheme for 1,000 homes on edge of Norwich gets go-ahead

Dan Grimmer Friday, March 15, 2013
6:30 AM

Work to build a thousand new homes on the edge of Norwich, the final piece in a jigsaw which has gone uncompleted for four decades, will start next year after city councillors granted planning permission for the houses.

Norwich City Council had applied to its own planning committee for permission to redevelop the Three Score site, south of Clover Hill.

And members of the city council’s planning committee yesterday unanimously approved the scheme, which city council leader Brenda Arthur hailed as a boost for those in need of a home but also for the local construction industry.

The scheme includes up to 1,000 homes, a care home, a new village centre with at least one shop and a public open space.

The city council snapped up 502 acres of land at Bowthorpe in a £9.5m deal 40 years ago. But while Clover Hill and Chapel Break were developed, much of Three Score remained on the drawing board.

Through a partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency, the city council came up with fresh plans for the site.

But people living nearby raised concerns about a bus route through the development, saying it could put children at risk and passengers on double decker buses would be able to see into their homes and gardens.

Sandra Rawlins, speaking on behalf of almost 40 residents at yesterday’s meeting, said: “We have got no objection against the homes, we have always known they would be coming. But we were always led to believe the buses would go from the roundabout at Bishy Barnabee Way.”

She said people were concerned that their children, who play in nearby fields, would have to cross the road which buses will use. And she added: “We will have double decker buses sitting at the bottom of our gardens, able to see into our gardens, conservatories and bedrooms.”

However, Gwyn Jones, the council’s city growth and development manager, said: “This is a really important strategic site for the city and in providing housing in the city.

“Without this Norwich and Greater Norwich would not meet its housing targets set in the Joint Core Strategy.

“It’s also really important for the council because it is part of our partnership with the Homes and Conmunities Agency.

“Proceeds from development will be reinvested into housing regeneration projects elsewhere in the city.”

Officers said they did not believe the buses presented safety issues and there were other examples in the city of buses passing people’s gardens.

Although the committee approved the plans, councillors agreed to request that the bus lane position be reconsidered.

The development would include one and two bedroom flats and two, three and four bedroom houses.

Almost 50 of the homes would be the first council homes built in Norwich for the best part of two decades and Brenda Arthur, city council leader, said: “The council and HCA partnership has as its key priority the provision of homes and jobs to the city because this is what matters most to residents.

“The homes we need are a real mix - from those to be rented privately, to those for people on the social housing register to others for families looking to buy their first home - and this development looks at going a long way to meeting this need.

“Building these homes will also give a meaningful boost to the jobs market including demonstrating our commitment to making sure at least 10 per cent of the contractor workforce will be made up of either young people breaking into the jobs market or those who have been unemployed.”

The city council has agreed to look again at the bus lane issue and, within a matter of months people will be consulted on detailed designs for phase one of the development.

The council said those designs will have to be submitted for approval, but after that the main roads, and the first homes, could get underway early next year.

It is estimated it will take between 10 and 12 years for all the homes to be built.

10 comments

with thousands on the waiting lists in norfolk for social housing and no pledge from the city council that each and every one of the 50 homes will be given to local people .Just what we expect from a labour council

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milecross

Sunday, March 17, 2013
Some good comments on here. Norwich City Council earmarked this area for housing 40 years ago. Has taken a long time to go through. The wheels turn very slowly. Houses have yet to be built.

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Capri

Sunday, March 17, 2013
It is very marshy around Three Score. Wouldn't there be a risk of these new houses subsiding or flooding? Best to build these badly needed on disused land first, in my opinion.

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Woolymatt

Saturday, March 16, 2013
Bearing in mind what you say John. I think the only comment that will be allowed on here is to say that each and every one of these houses will be given to a hard working local family. I don't think. Also Care Homes can be very dangerous places if you are old and frail.

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Steely Dan

Friday, March 15, 2013
I see more comments are being pulled, is it any wonder that Archant are going down the pan, when they have become so biased.

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John L Norton

Friday, March 15, 2013
A crying shame to lose the green space, planned or not. Where's the parking going to be? Where's the third way in and out of the estate? Where's the extra capacity on Dereham and Earlham roads? Takes forever to get down those right now since Bowthorpe Road became bus only. As IT Man says, yet another Queens Hills? Could be... Could well be.

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James Bishop

Friday, March 15, 2013
Where will they all park ??? Hopefully not the same layout as 3score is now its horrendous espec when majority of the houses are let for students houseshare etc and they have a min of 3cars per house and dont no the high way code !!!

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antonia64

Friday, March 15, 2013
Another jungle of ugly houses on it's way with no consideration for the environment. So where will all these people work then? I'm still waiting for this question to be answered.

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Thunderchild

Friday, March 15, 2013
Any more doctors, police, firemen and hospital beds included in this plan?

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norman hall

Friday, March 15, 2013
Oh dear, another Queens Hills fiasco on the cards, all those extra cars going down Dereham road in the morning? Has anyone given any thought to the extra traffic and where it is going to go? Please don't say use the bus because we all know that people will not use First due to all the reasons that are well known!

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IT Man

Friday, March 15, 2013

After 40 years, scheme for 1,000 homes on edge of Norwich gets go-ahead

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