Campaigners are urging voters to reject Greater Norwich growth plans.
Voters urged to oppose Norwich area homes plan
Shaun Lowthorpe
Monday, March 7, 2011
1:56 PM
Voters alarmed at plans to expand the size of Norwich are being urged to exert maximum pressure in forthcoming council elections to ward off controversial plans for more than 37,000 homes in and around the city.
Planning inspectors last week gave the green light to the so-called joint core strategy covering the greater Norwich area, which would pave the way for developments such as the ecotown at Rackheath, the Long Stratton bypass, and the Norwich northern distributor road (NDR).
Supporters believe the growth plans will help deliver new homes and jobs in a properly phased way, and not leave the area vulnerable to developers making speculative applications. But critics warn that the plans would effectively create a new town the size of Thetford to the north of Norwich in the area between the city and the Broads, which they fear would destroy the character of the area.
Meanwhile, campaigners fighting the NDR plans said funding uncertainties meant there were fresh doubts about the scheme and welcomed suggestions by the inspectors to test alternative schemes in the meantime. James Frost, director of Norfolk Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, said the inspectors’ findings did not mean that the growth plans were automatically a done deal and with council elections due in Norwich, Broadland, and South Norfolk on May 5 voters could send a clear message to local politicians about when they think of the plans.
“We don’t feel the public have really understood what’s coming,” Mr Frost said. “It’s a megashift, with 37,000 homes, you are talking about 100,000 people to address a genuine housing need of 5,250. It doesn’t add up. You are basically building a town the size of Thetford between Norwich and a national park at the Broads. when you say it to people in those terms, they cannot believe it.
“What we have is a high-level political ambition to make Norwich a city the size of Nottingham, that nobody really wants. All of these councils are going to come up for election in May, and they are going to have to say whether they agree with this level of growth or not. It’s not too late; people can lobby their councils not to adopt it.”
Meanwhile, Denise Carlo, chairman of the environmental transport umbrella ogranisation, the Norwich and Norfolk Transport Action Group said that despite supporting the growth, planners had expressed doubts as to whether the NDR would be built.
“Environmental groups and developers put forward separate proposals for single carriageway inner link roads as part of an integrated sustainable transport package,” she said. “We are confident that alternative solutions will be found as developers have said they do not want to spend money on major road infrastructure.”
However, she said the strategy did have some positive transport elements.
“We are also pleased to see firm proposals in the strategy for a network of bus rapid transit corridors and core bus routes,” she added. “This is the outcome of strong lobbying by environmental groups and the Green Party Group on Norfolk County Council, prompting the Department for Transport to make delivery of sustainable transport measures a condition of NDR programme entry.”
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8 comments
The proposed sprawl of developments around North east NorwichBroadland can only be because developers want to capitalise on the beautiful surroundings and use them as selling point for up market housing while destroying them forever. There are no good public transport routes, the routes into the city from that direction are congested and the plans rely on a road no one wants. Why not redevelop areas of old and low density social housing with good quality apartment buildings in walking distance of the city, or develop one place-such as Acle which has a dual carriage way , a good bus and train route, by creating a new market town with a new village centre additional to the old. Great Yarmouth also has potential to help fill Norwich's housing needs and has similarly good public transport links. If only it could be dragged out of the pits so it attracted working young first time buyers and renters into homes created in former B&Bs and small hotels etc it could help GYs economy at the same time..
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Daisy Roots
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
I was born in Norwich and always regarded the city as my home.Living and working in the 60s and 70 were great times but now Norwich has lost it's soul and it cant cope with the 21st century now.
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Amanda.T
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
This is an affliction now tainting every Council in the County. They are politically lop sided and Council Officers can do what they like. Not only is any opposition ignored, the cabinet system has been a disaster and should be scrapped forthwith.
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Richard Williams
Monday, March 7, 2011
Just what is going on in this county? We vote people into office to represent our views yet they are doing everything but, most folk don't want these developments like the majority don't want the Kings Lynn incinerator yet we the electorate are being totally ignored. What happened to democracy these councils have become dictatorial and just running roughshod over the general public. I think it about time for change and the sooner the better.
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Joe Mullets Uncle
Monday, March 7, 2011
It is easy to plan for huge numbers of houses but how are people going to be able to afford them if they do not have a job? So where are all the additional jobs going to come from?
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Norwich lad
Monday, March 7, 2011
The area in question is set to become one big mess, urban sprawl at its worst coupled with very poor infrastructure like inadequate roads, lack of water a poor sewerage system and a hospital that can barely cope at the moment.
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John L Norton
Monday, March 7, 2011
Its a done deal,in my opinion,with a powerful lobby of vested interests
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Albert Cooper
Monday, March 7, 2011
The N.D.R. is a done deal,.. self serving. politicians,developers,vested interest,pressure groups and so on,are determined this awfull road,and its consequences,housing etc will go ahead. and who can we vote for to hopefully prevent this rape of our City and County?
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Albert Cooper
Monday, March 7, 2011