NS&OC OPA Statement of Community Involvement by Beyond Green

2. Statement of Community Involvement NORTH SPROWSTON & OLD CATTON OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATION OCTOBER 2012

CONTENTS

Introduction 5 Policy context

Approach to community involvement

Stage 1: key issues and opportunities (Sept 2009 – May 2011)

Stage 2: community planning (June-Aug 2011)

Stage 3: design review (Sept - Oct 2011)

Stage 4: review and development of proposals (Nov 2011 – Aug 2012)

Consultation issues and responses

Next steps in community and stakeholder involvement

APPENDIX 1: Stage 1 one-to-one meetings held

APPENDIX 2: Community planning exhibition boards

APPENDIX 3: Stage 2 thematic stakeholder workshop attendees

APPENDIX 4: Summary of interactive survey results

APPENDIX 5: Design review exhibition boards

APPENDIX 6: Stage 3 design workshop attendees

APPENDIX 7: Greater Norwich Design Review Panel comments Oct 2011

APPENDIX 8: Stage 4 specialist stakeholder meetings

APPENDIX 9: Greater Norwich Design Review Panel comments March 2012

INTRODUCTION 1.0 The purpose of this Statement of Community Involvement is to provide a summary of the views expressed by the local community and specialist stakeholders in response to the principles, plans and proposals for North Sprowston and Old Catton (NS&OC) presented between 2009 and 2012, and to explain how these views have informed the development proposed for NS&OC. It is intended to support the planning application but also to be used as a reference for future reserved matters/ S106 applications and agreements.

The Statement of Community Involvement describes the pre-application involvement process, outlining the methodology used, presenting the information collected and showing how the findings have shaped the evolution of NS&OC. It also sets out a proposed approach to future community and stakeholder involvement. The purpose of the community involvement programme for NS&OC has been to: •• engage with a wide range of stakeholders, from statutory stakeholders to people in local communities; •• ensure the provision of full and accurate information to all stakeholders;

•• ensure consultation can genuinely influence decision making by adopting appropriate, focused and timely opportunities for involvement;

•• establish the foundation for ongoing dialogue and involvement which will endure past the outline planning application stage and throughout the life of the project; and

•• facilitate a constructive exchange of views;

•• ensure best practice compliance with planning guidance for public consultation.

•• determine local concerns and opportunities and make an appropriate response; •• adopt a consistent tone and message to avoid confusion; •• p rovide creative forums for debate as well as more conventional ‘information exchange’ to help guard against ‘consultation fatigue’;

The involvement programme for NS&OC also aimed to reduce the environmental impact of involvement events. This included selecting venues to maximise accessibility and reduce the need for participants to travel by car; sourcing materials and products responsibly; minimising waste through re-use of materials where possible; and the use of online communication channels (for example website and email).

2.0 POLICY CONTEXT Policy with regard to community involvement is described in national and local documents, principally the NPPF at a national level and the Broadland Community Involvement Protocol locally. The overall context set by the NPPF is considered in the Planning Support Statement and not repeated here.

2.1. NPPF

2.2. BROADLAND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROTOCOL

The NPPF identifies a set of core land-use planning principles that “…should underpin both plan-making and decision-taking”. In relation to community involvement, the first of these principles is that “…planning should be genuinely plan-led, empowering local people to shape their surroundings.” The NPPF also states that “[e]arly engagement has significant potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the planning application system for all parties. Good quality pre-application discussion enables better coordination between public and private resources and improved outcomes for the community.”

The Broadland Community Involvement Protocol sets out a series of commitments for developers, Broadland District Council, other service providers and Parish and Town Councils within the Broadland District. It aims to provide communities and other stakeholders with genuine opportunities to shape development proposals that may affect their community before planning applications are submitted. The protocol highlights a series of principles for effective community involvement, originally set out in the Broadland Community Involvement Strategy 2007-2012. These are summarised as: • “Adopt an inclusive approach to community and stakeholder involvement, ensuring that anyone who has an interest is given the opportunity to contribute ideas from an early stage;

National Planning Policy Framework

• Demonstrate, by reporting back on the results of community and stakeholder involvement, that all views are listened to and considered;

Broadland district community involvement protocol

www.communities.gov.uk community, opportunity, prosperity

For signiﬁcant development proposals November 2010 Policy Unit

abc www.broadland.gov.uk

• undertaken the following stages of community involvement: 1. “Evidence gathering: to identify the key issues to be addressed; 2. Masterplanning: to decide the layout and distribution of the development; 3. Pre-application publicity: to show the public the draft proposals, and to take on board any comments, before a planning application is submitted”; • discussed and agreed the consultation process and programme with Broadland District Council (BDC); • provided feedback to all stakeholders following community involvement exercises on the results and their influence on the proposals; • circulated notes of relevant discussions with service providers to BDC; • provided information and detail on the proposed development when requested by stakeholders and the community;

• Provide sufficient time for stakeholders and communities to contribute their views on proposals;

• acknowledged and respected the rights of all stakeholders to express their views;

• Provide accessible, clear and relevant information relating to proposals and community involvement opportunities.”

• helped all stakeholders by making it clear that engagement in this process is in no way an indication of support for any application; and

As signatories to the protocol, Beyond Green has agreed to these principles and integrated them into the strategy for community involvement at NS&OC, as described in detail in this document. Specifically in relation to the commitments identified for developers, Beyond Green has:

• demonstrated a commitment to ensuring the development of sustainable, livable communities.

APPROACH TO COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 3.0 The NS&OC involvement programme was developed to include a series of events alongside on-going communications and events for the project. Events were designed to feed into stages of design where the need for specific stakeholder input was greatest and where feedback could have the greatest influence.

EVENTS

NS&OC EVOLUTION

STAGE 1: KEY ISSUES & OPPORTUNITIES

STAGE 2: COMMUNITY PLANNING

Specialist stakeholder one-to-one meetings, parish council briefings, cycle tour of Norwich, stakeholder evening events

Community & stakeholder workshops, public exhibitions & events

LATE 2009

JUN 2011

Initial studies & design ideas

3.1. STRUCTURE OF INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMME The process for community involvement can be broken down into time periods as follows, and illustrated in the Community Involvement Process Diagram (see Figure 3.1): • Stage 1: key issues and opportunities (September 2009 - May 2011): initial engagement to introduce Beyond Green and begin to develop a detailed understanding of the key issues and opportunities relating to NS&OC. This took the form of one-to-one meetings, briefings for local Parish Councils, a series of evening events with key specialist stakeholders and a cycle tour of Norwich with cycle interest groups and Beyond Green’s design team;

• Stage 3: design review (September 2011 October 2011): following a summer working up strategies and plans, this stage of engagement provided the opportunity to review, test and further develop draft proposals for NS&OC. A series of events for community, public and specialist stakeholders included a 2-day public exhibition and workshops at Sprowston Parish Council offices, a 2-day programme of masterplanning and design workshops with specialist stakeholders, a site visit and review with the Greater Norwich Design Review Panel (DRP), and a stakeholder forum;

• Stage 2: community planning (June 2011 August 2011): this period saw the public launch and first events of Beyond Green’s formal community involvement programme, aiming to gather information locally and establish a series of key principles to inform the development of proposals for NS&OC. Events included three evening public exhibition and workshop events at St Cuthbert’s Church in Sprowston, public

• Stage 4: review and development of proposals (November 2011 - July 2012): the final period for refinement of proposals, this initially constituted an internal review and consolidation of findings, followed by ongoing design and strategy refinement with regular feedback from pre-application discussions and a series of technical meetings and themespecific workshops with specialist stakeholders.

Internal review of activities

AUG 2011

Emerging scheme design

exhibitions at Sprowston Fete, Spixworth Fete and Old Catton Flower Show, a Young People’s Forum and a 4-day programme of thematic workshops for specialist stakeholders;

STAGE 3: DESIGN REVIEW

STAGE 4: REVIEW & DEVELOPMENT

Community & stakeholder workshops, public exhibitons & events; DRP site visit & presentation

Specialist stakeholder meetings & workshops; DRP review

OCT 2011

NOV 2011

Scheme design to ‘design freeze’

JAN 2012

AUG 2012

Final scheme adjustments

Figure 3.1: Community Involvement Process Diagram

3.0 APPROACH TO COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 3.2. TYPES OF STAKEHOLDERS A stakeholder mapping exercise was undertaken to identify organisations to engage with during the project. This exercise was informed by consultation with Broadland District Council’s Community Development and Liaison Officer as well as through desk research. The stakeholder database was continually updated during the course of the community involvement programme. Local residents and members of the general public attending the events or using the website were given the opportunity to sign up to updates on the project by email or post. All events were also advertised in the local press and through delivery of flyers to residents of Sprowston, Old Catton and Spixworth.

Town Council, Old Catton Parish Council and Spixworth Parish Council; •• statutory stakeholder organisations: including Environment Agency, Natural England, English Heritage, Highways Authority and Sport England; •• technical non-statutory stakeholder organisations: bodies with expertise or a specialist remit covering NS&OC issues or topics such as sports, culture, arts, the environment, housing, employment, utilities and social infrastructure; this includes the Greater Norwich Design Review Panel; •• equalities groups: bodies with expertise or a specialist remit covering equalities target groups;

3.2.1. Community and public stakeholders Community and public stakeholders comprised the following three groups: •• local residents and members of the general public: those living or working in the parishes of Old Catton, Sprowston, Beeston St Andrew and Spixworth; •• community and voluntary sector organisations: either based locally, with a specific interest or expertise in NS&OC proposals or representing a specific interest group; •• young people: those living or studying in the local area.

3.2.2. Specialist stakeholders Specialist stakeholders comprised the following groups: •• national, county, regional and local governance: including local MPs, councilors and officers from Norfolk County Council, Greater Norwich Development Partnership (GNDP), Broadland District Council, Sprowston

•• private sector businesses: local businesses and developers; •• landowners: on or adjacent to the site including representatives of Beeston Estate, Norfolk County Council, Alderman Norman Foundation, Norwich School, Norwich Rugby Club, Morley Agricultural Foundation and the Howard family.

STAGE 1: KEY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES (SEPTEMBER 2009 – MAY 2011) 4.0 The community involvement programme for NS&OC began in September 2009. The initial period of engagement provided an opportunity for Beyond Green to introduce itself, its sustainability, place-making and people-first ethos and approach, and begin to explore the key issues and opportunities for development at NS&OC.

4.1. ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN Between September 2009 and May 2011, introductory meetings were held with a diverse range of specialist stakeholders, community and voluntary sector organisations. In total Beyond Green met with over 48 organisations; these are listed in Appendix 1.

During this period, engagement activities included:

4.1.1. Stakeholder evening events •• one-to-one meetings with stakeholders, community and organisations;

specialist voluntary

•• a series of evening events with key specialist stakeholders; •• parish council briefings; and •• a cycle tour of Norwich with cycle interest groups and Beyond Green’s design team.

In early 2011 a series of evening events were held to gather feedback from key stakeholders on the principles for planning and designing for sustainable development and community at NS&OC (See Figures 4.1 and 4.2). Individuals from some 20 organisations attended the following events: •• Thursday 13th January 2011, Sprowston Parish Council offices ‘We’re all clients now, towards a new process for sustainable

communities and places’: an introduction to Beyond Green and its local partners, this event provided an opportunity for Beyond Green to summarise its findings from the initial months of consultation and to take questions from stakeholders including discussion of ways of working with the wider community in the future; •• Wednesday 16th February 2011, The Hostry, Norwich Cathederal ‘Improving lives, growing community, environmental sustainability: what are places for?’: the first in a series of workshops on planning and designing for sustainable development and community, this event explored how we live now, how we want and need to live in the future and how addressing this challenge might affect the way we design;

Figure 4.1: Beyond Green hosts its first evening event to gather feedback from key stakeholders

4.0 STAGE 1: KEY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES (SEPTEMBER 2009 – MAY 2011)

Figure 4.2: Informal discussion and debate on the

Figure 4.3: Stakeholders join Beyond Green’s professional team for a consultation cycle ride in Norwich

principles for sustainable development

•• Wednesday 2nd March 2011, St Cuthbert’s Church, Sprowston ‘Making town’: a short presentation by Paul Murrain, senior design advisor to Beyond Green was followed by a panel discussion and an open debate about the principles, disciplines, processes and patterns that underpin successful places; •• Wednesday 16th March 2011 ‘People-first planning in Broadland’: at the final workshop, Jacob Blak from Gehl Architects presented on how to put people first in planning at NS&OC; this was followed by a lively debate during the question and answer session.

4.1.2. Parish council briefings Introductory meetings were held with Sprowston Parish Council (now Sprowston Town Council) on 13th October 2010, Old Catton Parish Council on 8th November 2010 and Spixworth Parish Council on 9th November 2010.

4.1.3. Consultation cycle ride

4.2. ANALYSIS AND KEY FINDINGS

Representatives from Norwich Cycling Campaign, Sustrans and Norwich City Council joined Beyond Green Developments, SKM Colin Buchanan and Gehl Architects for a half day cycle ride on 17th March 2011 (see Figure 4.3). The purpose of the ride was to assess conditions for cyclists on key routes to Norwich city centre, identify barriers to cycling and explore short, medium and long term opportunities for improving cycling conditions.

During this period of consultation a number of issues and opportunities were identified by stakeholders. These are summarised below.

Beyond Green Developments also took part in the Norwich City Council’s consultation ride for the Norwich Cycle Map Outer Circuit on 22nd November 2011.

4.2.2. Creating community

•• Concern over impact of Tesco superstore on retail at NS&OC. •• Provision of multifunctional community and social infrastructure was considered vital.

4.2.1. Consultation •• Development proposals should be informed by consultation with local stakeholders and communities.

•• Young people should be considered, in particular in terms of safe meeting places in central locations with good lighting.

4.2.3. Green infrastructure

•• Concern that school provision at NS&OC should be part of a collaborative approach to reduce educational underachievement in Norfolk. •• Concern that there should be housing that people can afford. •• NS&OC provides the opportunity to create a new centre of community for Sprowston.

•• Need for a local and accessible green space in Sprowston identified, with Catton Park seen by many as a good example. •• Identification of Beeston Park and woodland as a key asset to the site. •• Support for a collaborative approach to food production on site, including provision of new allotment sites to meet local demand.

STAGE 1: KEY ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES (SEPTEMBER 2009 – MAY 2011) 4.0 •• Although relatively low levels of existing biodiversity on site, identification of the need for the development to support wildlife to mitigate for both loss of habitat and climate change. •• Identification of the need to consider impact of the development on the Broads, in particular relating to water and recreational pressure; conflict between aim to increase access to the Broads and need to prevent negative impact of recreational pressure. •• Careful consideration should be given to phasing to ensure early planting of landscape that will take many years to develop. •• Aim to link environmental features to the facilities and connections within the development, and to reflect local landscape character, for example Norwich has a very high number of mature trees compared to other places.

4.2.4. Transport •• Concern over impact of the NDR on development and the deliverability of the scheme with or without it. •• Concern about increase in traffic in the local area and impact on local residents and businesses. •• Provision of an east west connection within NS&OC considered important. •• Support for provision infrastructure.

excellent

•• Importance of improving existing bus services identified and making public transport affordable to help facilitate an ambitious modal shift across all sectors of the population. •• Concern over impact of the airport on new residents at NS&OC.

Key points from the meetings and evening events over this initial period of consultation were fed back to stakeholders through:

4.2.5. Energy, water and waste

•• regular updates on the Beyond Green website including a summary and video of each of the stakeholder evening workshops;

•• Support for renewable forms of energy generation on site and desire to see exemplar ‘green housing’ at NS&OC.

•• summary presentations at workshops to feed back key points, facts, figures and issues arising; and

•• Concern over shortage of water in Norfolk; support for an ambitious water strategy.

•• updates at stakeholder evening workshops of the findings to date.

•• Concern over flooding at NS&OC with anecdotal evidence of problems at the Park and Ride site and Sprowston cemetery.

The information was also used to develop briefing notes, presentations and exhibition boards for the community planning workshops in June and July.

4.2.6. Design and sense of place

4.4. DESIGN EVOLUTION

•• Concern that housing should not be poor quality and should learn from local examples – bad and good; general feeling of disappointment with other local large scale developments in the recent past.

This initial stage of consultation helped indentify the key issues with and opportunities for development in the local area as perceived by stakeholders. Reports of each of the stakeholder meetings and events were completed and fed into the development of the vision and principles for NS&OC. They also informed early design work focused on site and contextual analysis and consideration of the role of the site in relation to the wider ‘growth triangle’ policy area in which it sits through a ‘framework planning’ exercise.

•• Concern from some about the scale of development in their local area. •• Concern that there should be housing and facilities to suit people at all stages of life. •• Support for buildings that are adaptable to suit changing conditions over time.

cycle

•• Several opportunities identified for offsite cycle provision during consultation cycle ride in March 2010 including Sprowston to Norwich; Spixworth Road; North Walsham Road/Consititution Hill roundabout; Magdelan Street; and the Cozens Hardy Road/Cannerby Road/Wroxham Road crossing.

4.3. FEEDING BACK TO STAKEHOLDERS

Full details of design evolution during this consultation stage can be found in the Design and Access Statement.

4.2.7. Delivery •• Beyond Green should work with Parish/Town Councils as well as the Local Authority to ensure high quality management over the long term.

5.0 STAGE 2: COMMUNITY PLANNING (JUNE-AUGUST 2011) 5.1.1. Public exhibitions

•• press advertisements placed in the Eastern Daily Press and the Norwich Evening News in the weeks running up to the events;

During June and July over 200 members of the public attended a series of public events:

•• print and online press coverage in Norwich Evening News and Eastern Daily Press;

•• three evening exhibitions at St Cuthbert’s Church in Sprowston (16th, 20th and 21st June); and

•• a leaflet inviting local residents to the events was distributed to 15,000 homes around Sprowston, Spixworth and Old Catton;

•• exhibitions held at three fetes in three local parishes: Sprowston Fete on Saturday 18th June, Spixworth Fete on Sunday 10th July and Old Catton Flower Show on Saturday 16th July.

•• information on the Beyond Green Broadland District Council websites.

This stage of consultation saw the public launch and first events of Beyond Green’s community involvement programme in the form of an extensive series of workshops, exhibitions and events held with local residents and specialist stakeholders.

5.1. ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN

These events aimed to build on learning from engagement over the previous two years; to establish a series of key principles to inform the development of proposals for NS&OC; and to further identify key opportunities and issues arising. Events during this stage of consultation included: •• evening and weekend public exhibitions; •• a Young People’s Forum; and

In order to maximise attendance by members of the public, these events were advertised widely in the local area and around Norwich through:

•• a 4-day programme of thematic workshops for specialist stakeholders. Community and stakeholder workshops and exhibitions were facilitated by Beyond Green staff with widespread input from the full multidisciplinary professional team.

Figure 5.1: Members of the public take part in interactive surveys

and

STAGE 2: COMMUNITY PLANNING (JUNE-AUGUST 2011) 5.0 Exhibitionboards

Questionnaires

Interactive surveys

Exhibition boards were used at each of the public events. These set out the rationale for development at NS&OC, described the development process to date and in the future, and highlighted some key principles for the development as a starting point for debate.

Accompanying the exhibition were a series of questionnaires capturing feedback (see Figure 5.2):

Interactive activities accompanied the exhibition boards as a means of engaging a broader range of local people. These included:

• questionnaire: asking participants about their lives at the moment, how they anticipate this changing in the future and what, consequently, they would like to see in the proposed development;

• ‘What would feature in your ideal place?’: asking participants to vote for the most important elements in their ideal future community (see Figure 5.1);

Exhibition boards were presented on a range of topics including ‘Why here and why now?’, ‘Grown can be green’, Parks and Play’ and ‘Inside a Beyond Green home’. Copies of the exhibition boards can be found in Appendix 2. The exhibition was made available on the Beyond Green website after the events for those wanting to look again at the detail and for anyone that was not able to attend the events. They can be viewed at www.beyondgreen.co.uk.

• quiz: engaging younger people in the exhibition and providing an informal means of capturing their feedback; • online questionnaire: for those that were not able to complete a questionnaire at the events.

Figure5.2:FeedingbackonthekeyissuesandopportunitiesforNS&OC

• ‘Your daily life’: to help orientate local people on the map and give Beyond Green a better understanding of how the local area was currently being used, participants used coloured sticky dots to locate where they work, live, study, shop and play;

• ‘The Good, the Bad and the Missing Ingredient’: to find out what local people thought about their neighbourhood and which facilities and spaces were missing, participants used post-it notes to identify ‘the good’, ‘the bad’ and ‘the missing ingredient’ in their area; • ‘Do you like drawing’: aiming to engage the younger generation, local children drew a picture of what a community of the future might look like and in particular: where people would live, how they would get around, what they would wear and what they would eat (see Figure 5.3. Following the events, the ‘What would feature in your ideal place?’ survey was made available online for those not able to complete it at the events.

Figure5.3:Localchildrengiveacreativetakeonwhatacommunityofthefuturemightlooklike

5.0 STAGE 2: COMMUNITY PLANNING (JUNE-AUGUST 2011) 5.1.2. Thematic stakeholder workshops ‘Planning for community, new homes and prosperity: an exploration of potential’

dealing with waste: new technologies and new approaches’; • ‘Parks, green spaces, ecology, food and farming’;

Thematic workshops for specialist stakeholders were held over four days between 16th and 21st June 2011 (see Figure 5.4). Each lasting a half day, the workshops covered the following topics: • ‘Delivering place and sustainable development: Beyond Green’s business model’; • ‘Creating jobs and delivering prosperity: a 21st century approach’; • ‘Creating community’; • ‘Generating

energy,

supplying

water

and

• ‘Sustainable transport and movement’; • ‘Sense of place, identity and character: design issues’. Thematic workshops were accompanied by exhibition (described in 5.1.1. Public exhibition, and Appendix 2), and was facilitated by Beyond Green staff including input from their professional team. Stakeholders were encouraged to attend as many workshops as they could over the course of the

four days according to their areas of interest, with many attending multiple sessions. 115 people from over 45 organisations attended the workshops to examine the potential for development on this site. Attendee organisations are listed in Appendix 3.

The event was advertised at five local schools and colleges, local youth interest groups including four scout and guide groups and in local churches (see Figure 5.5). Attendance was unfortunately very low, with only four young people attending.

5.1.3. Young People’s Forum

Beyond Green are committed to fully involving young people in the detailed design and delivery of NS&OC, see Chapter 9 for further details on next steps for consultation.

As part of Beyond Green’s week of community involvement events in Broadland, a Young People’s Forum for 11 to 21 year olds was held on Saturday 18th June was held, at OPEN Youth Trust charity’s venue on Bank Plain in Norwich. This aimed to engage young people in the planning of NS&OC; to provide an opportunity to get involved in shaping their area’s future; and to provide a forum for young people to talk to members of the Beyond Green design team first-hand.

Figure5.4:SpecialiststakeholderstakingpartinthematicworkshoptoinformthedevelopmentofprinciplesandproposalsforNS&OC

Figure 5.5: Flyer advertising the Young People’s Forum

STAGE 2: COMMUNITY PLANNING (JUNE-AUGUST 2011) 5.0 5.2. KEY FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS

the development should improve access to work in Norwich city centre.

The key findings from this period of engagement are summarised below.

5.2.1. Economic prosperity and jobs Growing and diversifying the business base: consensus that Greater Norwich’s economy is stable and successful and doesn’t need major intervention. Agreement that the economy is dynamic and that successful places evolve over time to meet changing economic need. A number of sectors were identified as a focus for growth and new business creation and agreement that an influx of new residents could itself create new economic activity but concern that development should not undermine efforts to generate sectorbased ‘clusters’ in other places around Norwich. Stimulating local enterprise: working at or closer to home is a growing trend with a particular appeal to many people in Norwich and Norfolk. There was enthusiasm for creating a ladder of support for small companies within a new community – from incubators, with education and support services, through ‘move-on’ accommodation for growing SMEs to market offices and industrial units. Some people thought that the potential to attract enterprises to an edge-urban location such as this would be strongly connected to the quality-of-life offer made by the wider character of the place.

Attracting people to work, visit and live: there was consensus that tourism, inward migration and investment based on sustainability and qualityof-life advantages were key areas of economic potential for Broadland and Greater Norwich. Debate about whether a degree of relative isolation, real or perceived, from other parts of the UK and beyond might be a contributing factor. There was a feeling that a development that genuinely embodied ‘the highest quality of life and lowest carbon footprint in Europe’ could make an important contribution to addressing that. Meeting local employment needs and using the local skills base: agreement that new development should create many jobs in architecture, design, infrastructure services and construction, as well as in the management and maintenance of new communities. Consensus that development could help by building links to local schools and colleges and raising awareness of job opportunities coming from the development including in industries such as low-carbon technologies and ‘green collar’ services. Agreement that there are key groups whose skills needed to be better harnessed across Greater Norwich as a whole, including former UEA students and older people who will form a growing proportion of the population in the coming years.

5.2.2. Creating community

“

I redesigned my life to work at home; I have given the biggest room in my life over to my business. It works brilliantly. I use public transport and walk everywhere.

”

Smart growth and designing workplaces into the urban fabric: there was debate about how best to design workplaces into the community – whether in business parks or areas of footfall. Debate also arose about the desirable extent of ‘self containment’. Local residents supported the creation of local jobs but were also concerned that

Designing a place that encourages community life: there was general consensus that the design of places affects the strength of community. Stakeholders agreed that facilities need to be colocated to focus activity. There was some debate over the development of a ‘new’ community or whether it should be an extension of Sprowston and other existing places; it was generally considered better to integrate new development with existing areas. Social infrastructure and local amenities: agreement that any new development had to

achieve a high level of amenities and that it was not sufficient just to meet policy requirements but to make the place interesting and busy. Stakeholders voiced fears that provision of schools will not keep pace with population growth and that existing facilities will be overburdened. A new community centre identified as a requirement in the local area, but learning from the drawbacks of existing ones. Local residents favoured a mix of amenities offering something different to Tesco and addressing the deficit of smaller local shops in Sprowston. Some debate over where major new facilities should be located and about the relationship between density of development and the creation of a ‘critical mass’ of amenities.

“

It’s amenities that make community. Local shops, post offices, pubs, restaurants, schools. We all interact in different ways and you have to give a breadth of opportunities for interaction.

”

Housing mix: consensus that housing should consist of a wide mix of types and sizes so that people can move home without needing to move away. Housing should be ‘tenure blind’ and integrated; no ‘ghettos’. Stakeholders generally agreed that housing should be architecturally ambitious and avoid clichés, whether standard ‘housebuilder’ products or undue emphasis on the local vernacular. Mixed views on the merits of ‘self-build’ housing but agreement on the need to enable active ageing. Housing affordability: concern that many people are not eligible for Affordable Housing, especially first-time buyers. There was support for innovation in creating a ‘ladder’ of housing not just in terms of size and type but in tenure and affordability. Community governance: agreement on the need to identify a core of people who can exercise leadership and create networks of information and support, as well as the need to get existing residents and early new residents involved in designing

and, if possible, running things. Likely scale of development in the ‘growth triangle’ is such that it may need its own governance arrangements, however it was agreed that any meaningful governance arrangements need legitimacy and resources.

5.2.3. Parks, green spaces, ecology, food and farming The green spaces network: support for green spaces to act as a continuous network running through the development. A range of integrated, multifunctional green space typologies were discussed including: a farm, country park, pocket parks, green streets and green roofs. Connections: increased access to green space both on site and off site was identified as a priority, with connections between green spaces important to achieve this. The need for links to other green spaces in the very local area (including the Sprowston allotments) and further afield was identified as a topic requiring further discussion. The park: there was discussion around the Growth Triangle wide need for a country park. Stakeholders and members of the public were enthusiastic about the idea of a park on site taking the form of a series of linked green spaces rather than one very large space. Widespread consensus that a park would have a number of functions. Examples discussed included: areas for play, walking, dog walking, cycling, wildlife areas, wooded areas, café, food growing areas/allotments and areas for outdoor activities. Management and maintenance: there was agreement that successful management and maintenance was vital in short, medium and long term. While no consensus was reached as to where the overall responsibility for management of green spaces should lie, the excellent track record and potential role for Parish Councils was recognised. It was agreed that involving local people was important.

5.0 STAGE 2: COMMUNITY PLANNING (JUNE-AUGUST 2011) Food and farming: there was consensus among stakeholders that all types and sizes of green spaces, buildings and connections within the development should be as productive as possible, with consideration of land outside the site. A range of models for turning local, smaller-scale food production into an economic resource were discussed, with the involvement of local people considered vital. This was seen as especially important given that much of the land under consideration for development is currently farmed. Ecology: there was widespread recognition of the importance of wildlife corridors. Agreement that habitat opportunities in an urban environment should be enhanced through parks, gardens, green roofs, green walls, balconies and street trees; alongside larger scale spaces. Consensus that the development should enhance existing ecological features where possible, and that there was a need for specialist wildlife habitats of real value as part of the wider green space network. Sports: it was generally felt that sport in the local area hasn’t been planned for the long term. The Growth Triangle provides an opportunity to address this. Agreement that sports facilities on site should be accessible to everyone including teenagers and older people. Some debate about distribution of facilities.

“

There’s a real shortage of public sports fields in Broadland – all the pitches are so well used.

”

SuDS: it was agreed that a holistic system which incorporates SuDS and rainwater recycling and enhances ecology and water quality is needed on the development. The scale of the SuDS system – local or more strategic – and the impact of rainwater harvesting on groundwater were both identified as areas requiring further discussion.

5.2.4. Sustainable movement and transport Traffic growth and impacts: local residents raised concerns about the impact of increased traffic, in particular the peak time congestion and concern over rat running through residential streets. There was general support amongst workshop participants for the principle of no net traffic growth but recognition that it won’t be easy to achieve. Minimising the need to travel: it was recognised that incorporating a mix of uses within a new development plays a key role in reducing people’s need to travel. It was agreed that there is a particular need to reduce car use on the school run. Cycling: there was recognition amongst stakeholders and the general public of the need to invest in joined up infrastructure both on- and offsite to encourage more people to cycle.

“

Cycling is not always practical for young or old people as current roads are not built for their use.

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Public transport and car ownership: a number of people expressed their frustrations with the existing public transport system in Norwich and the wider area. Whilst there was consensus about the need to minimise car use there was lengthy discussion about the role of the car in a largely rural county, and particularly the parking that cars would require.

5.2.5. Energy, water and waste Water: there was general agreement that net water neutrality was the right goal for this area, although it was acknowledged that no other largescale development has achieved this. A rainwater harvesting ring was seen as the most effective way to maximise the collection of rainwater on a large scale. Most agreed that water metering and progressive pricing are good ways of reducing potable water use. Some people advocated the

retrofitting of existing buildings off-site. It was felt that water efficiency and off-site retrofit alone would not be sufficient to achieve net water neutrality and that some form of on-site water recycling would be necessary. Energy: there was general consensus that aiming to generate all energy on site is realistic but ambitious, with particular challenges arising around creating a stable supply of energy. It was felt that an on-site Energy Service Company (an ESCO), to deliver a specialised, integrated energy supply service, or even a Multi Utility Service Company (a MUSCO) to perform the same service across all utilities, could be necessary. Local stakeholders, including local authorities, could be interested in investing in such a body. This would also present an opportunity for involving residents on-site to ensure community involvement / buy-in. Waste: the proposed facility at Kings Lynn was considered a viable option to recycling operational waste; dealing with waste on-site via an ESCO / MUSCO was considered a potentially attractive alternative. There was discussion of the handling of construction waste from what would be a sustained period of large-scale development. Many felt that there should be a co-ordinated approach to construction waste management. Involving new and existing residents in supporting resource efficiency: a key theme was the opportunity to involve residents in sustainable resource management strategies, whether through design and/or governance of municipal services or by incentivising households to cut their consumption of resources over time. Some felt that local parish councils were a very positive asset to harness and could help integrate services and infrastructure to new development with the existing community.

“

Resources in this part of the world are very stretched. We need look at how to get more sustainable patterns of use among both new and existing residents.

”

The idea of using energy, water and waste initiatives to integrate the proposed new community with the existing community came out strongly in conversations with the general public. Ideas included: using community initiatives to increase the roll out of water meters in existing homes – including retrofitting grey water recycling where possible; having community wide food recycling schemes; to helping with energy efficiency solutions, and the installation of solar panels. It was widely felt that all new homes and public buildings should have solar panels – and that developers should be helping with that.

5.2.6. Sense of place What makes a good neighbourhood: there was a fear of new development being detached from existing communities and recognition of the need to learn from the mistakes of other recent development which was considered to be of poor quality with impermeable layouts, poor quality public realm and a lack of facilities. There was consensus among stakeholders that good places need to be easily accessible with a variety of cultural, leisure, retail and business activities and services. These would preferably be located around a central market place with access to green space. Streets: there was a focus on pedestrian priority in urban centres, with the integration of cycle routes and a rethink of parking in both residential streets and urban centres highlighted as particularly important. It was felt that streets need to maximise opportunities for exchange, helping people feel part of things and share responsibility for their streets. There was acknowledgment that parking would remain a hot topic for much of the design process, but that the idea of putting people before cars was popular: Facilities and business opportunities: the integration of business plots into residential areas and the promotion of mixed use development were seen as positive moves, with opportunities for a range of different working environments – from home working and small business as well as to being able to attract some ‘big’ business.

STAGE 2: COMMUNITY PLANNING (JUNE-AUGUST 2011) 5.0

“

Norfolk vernacular is quite diverse and diffuse… any attempt to condense it into an essence of Norfolk is doomed to failure. The last thing we want is pastiche.

”

Built form and typologies: discussions focused on the need for any new development to provide the highest quality of design and construction. There was a wish for a high diversity of housing types, making this not only a good selling point, but also allowing for adaptable homes and design for different needs (the elderly, for example). It was felt that this package also needed to be genuinely affordable, given the current economic climate and outlook. It became clear in discussions that people found it hard to pinpoint a particular Norfolk vernacular and the conversations focused on the need for a range of high quality buildings and distinctive design which gave a new place a unique identity.

Delivery of infrastructure: it was thought important to provide infrastructure early on wherever possible and to be clear and open about the timescale for delivery of infrastructure throughout the project. Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL): the GNDP is a front-runner for CIL and this will be a major determinant of delivery strategy. Possible tensions between Beyond Green’s delivery model and the proposals for CIL were highlighted, including the fact that the presumption behind CIL is that it removes as much of the responsibility for delivery of infrastructure from developers as possible – whereas Beyond Green’s aspiration is to remain involved alongside partners in these aspects of the project. The need for establishment of a partnership-based relationship between Beyond Green and all CIL delivery partners was highlighted, including the district council, GNDP and parish councils.

5.2.8. Interactive survey 5.2.7. Delivery There was general consensus among stakeholders that the existing model of housing delivery had not delivered a high-quality product in recent times and agreement that Beyond Green’s longterm business model represents a logical means of addressing this issue. Partnerships: the need to work in partnership with a large number and range of partners in delivery of the project was identified, including all tiers of government, statutory bodies, community organisations and existing and new residents.

Participants in the stakeholder workshops and visitors to public exhibitions at three fetes were invited to participate in an interactive survey about their ideal future community. Over 150 people took part. Survey participants were asked eight questions about their ideal future community: 1. What spaces are important to you?

You’re not just asking the planning authority to think differently – it’s parishes, existing communities, your new community, statutory bodies…

”

Participants made some interesting and clear preferences. A summary of the results can be found in Appendix 4, the highlights are as follows: •• Participants advocated a wide range of open spaces, including a country park, areas of woodland and wildlife habitats. Many also voted for a town park and town square; •• Walking and cycling emerged as the preferred modes of transport, with participants considering ‘safe streets’ as the single most important space in a new community. While private cars were still considered an important part of people’s lives, buses also featured prominently; •• The quality people valued most in a home was its being ‘green and cheap to run’ followed by having ‘affordable mortgage or rent’. These reflect perhaps the current economic climate but also the recognition that greener homes have economic advantages – a win, win for householders; •• Participants preferred ‘traditional’ to ‘modern’ design and a significant minority would like to be involved in the design of their homes;

•• When asked where people might work in the future, a strong preference emerged for shared workspaces, small workshops, and homeworking, all of which featured higher than either conventional office blocks or factories. This suggests the need for adaptable and innovative forms of localised business premises and support. It also illustrates how important excellent communications technology is enabling a strong local economy. Many respondents also envisaged people working outdoors – reflecting the importance of agriculture to the area; •• When asked how resources (energy, water and waste) could be used better in a new place, respondents said that people would need to change their habits and behaviour to use less. A ‘site-wide clean energy network’ was also a high priority, as was ‘driving less’ – a recurrent theme throughout the consultation. As well as sourcing food from local shops, there was widespread support for ‘growing food at home’ (again perhaps reflecting tough economic times but also growing environmental awareness). A ‘community supermarket’ was preferred to another mainstream supermarket.

•• Community centres and sports centres headed the list of community facilities, with secondary schools and public libraries also considered important to a new community;

2. How do you want to get around? 3. What’s most important to you in a home?

“

8. How do you imagine sourcing your food?

4. What public services will people need most? 5. What sort of shops will we need? 6. Where might people work? 7. How will we use resources better?

•• The results for shopping were particularly interesting: independent shops gained overwhelming support, followed by newsagents/convenience stores with, perhaps surprisingly, a farmers’ market a close third and ahead of conventional supermarkets. Does this mean supermarkets have had their day? Or is it that there are already enough of them in the area and people want greater choice and local character?

5.0 STAGE 2: COMMUNITY PLANNING (JUNE-AUGUST 2011) 5.3. FEEDING BACK TO STAKEHOLDERS Feedback from the consultation events was fed back to stakeholders through: •• a stakeholder forum on the final evening of the community planning workshop summarising key issues; •• a full report of the consultation findings ‘Reporting Back: Stakeholder and Community Consultation June-July 2011’ was sent to all specialist stakeholders and to members of the public who had registered to receive updates; it was also made available to all stakeholders on the Beyond Green website. This correspondence also detailed the programme for the design workshops in October; •• presentation to Sprowston Parish Council •• print and online press coverage in Norwich Evening News and Eastern Daily Press; •• regular updates on the Beyond Green website including a summary of the consultation report and snapshots of the events; stakeholders were invited to email broadland@beyondgreen.co.uk with any questions or for further information.

Information from the workshops was used to develop exhibition boards for the design workshops in October. The findings were presented at the beginning of the design workshops providing context for attendees and a chance to highlight specifically how proposals had evolved as a result.

5.4. DESIGN EVOLUTION Following this stage of consultation, work began in earnest on developing a preferred masterplan option taking into account the outcomes of the workshops with the aim of presenting work-inprogress at the design workshops in October. The outputs of the community planning workshops were fed into briefs for the consultant team as design work broadened to explore and test the wider layout and street network, definition of character areas and distribution of the transect, integration of green infrastructure and open spaces, mix of housing and other land-uses and preliminary options for energy, water and waste infrastructure. Full details of design evolution during this consultation stage can be found in the Design and Access Statement.

STAGE 3: DESIGN REVIEW (SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2011) 6.0 Beyond Green moved into the design review stage of engagement with a series of draft plans and proposals that had been drawn up over the summer informed by the output of the community planning workshops. The focus of this period of engagement was on providing stakeholders and the public with opportunity to review work-in-progress and suggest revisions to draft plans and proposals for NS&OC. Events in the third stage of consultation included: •• a 2-day public exhibition; •• a 2-day programme of masterplanning and design workshops with specialist stakeholders; •• a site visit and presentation to the GNDP Design Review Panel; and

6.1. ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN 6.1.1. Public exhibitions During the weekend of 8th and 9th October over 100 members of the public attended a public exhibition held at the Sprowston Parish Council offices on Recreation Ground Road (see Figure 6.1). Publicity for the events followed the same form as for the community planning events in June and July (see 5.1.1. Public exhibitions for details).

Exhibition boards were presented on a range of topics including ‘Site location and constraints’, ‘Consultation process to date’, ‘Towards a masterplan’, ‘Green infrastructure’, ‘Sustainable transport’ and ‘Energy, water and waste’. Copies of the exhibition boards can be found in Appendix 5. The exhibition was made available on the Beyond Green website after the event for those wanting to look again at the detail and for anyone that was not able to attend the events. They can be viewed at www.beyondgreen.co.uk. Questionnaires

Exhibition boards Exhibition boards described the process to date, the learning from consultation so far and put forward a series of draft plans and proposals for NS&OC for debate and review by the public.

As with the community planning events, a questionnaire accompanied the exhibition capturing feedback from local people.

•• a stakeholder forum.

Figure 6.1: members of the public review work in progress with the Beyond Green team

6.0 STAGE 3: DESIGN REVIEW (SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2011) Interactive surveys Two interactive activities exhibition boards:

accompanied

6.1.2. Design workshops ‘Designing for community, new homes and prosperity’

• ‘Creating community and delivering prosperity’; and

Green staff including input from their professional team.

Design workshops for specialist stakeholders were held on 5th and 7th October 2011 at OPEN’s venue on Bank Plain in Norwich (see Figure 6.4). The workshops covered the following topics:

• ‘Generating energy, dealing with waste’.

Over 75 individuals from more than 35 organisations attended the workshops to test and refine the draft proposals for NS&OC. Attendee organisations are listed in Appendix 6.

the

• ‘Designing your ideal community?’: building on the survey results from the community planning events, this survey explored the most popular features in more detail. Participants voted on elements in eight themes (see Figure 6.2); • ‘Do you like drawing’: aiming to engage young children, participants drew what they would most like to see at NS&OC (see Figure 6.3).

supplying

water

and

Following the workshops, a stakeholder forum was held at the Kings Centre in Norwich. This provided the opportunity to report back on the key findings from the workshops and public events, and for stakeholders to give further feedback.

• ‘Urban form, sense of place, identity and character’; • ‘Green spaces and systems, ecology and farming’;

The design workshops were accompanied by exhibition boards (see 6.1.1. Public exhibitions and Appendix 5), and was again facilitated by Beyond

• ‘Sustainable movement’;

Designing Your Ideal Community

6.1.3. Greater Norwich Design Review Panel The Greater Norwich Design Review Panel (DRP) provides independent expert advice to the GNDP and its constituent Local Planning Authorities (including Broadland District Council) on the quality of development proposals. The DRP is

be DE yond VEL gre en O wor PMENT S ki

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homes were particularly important. So now we’d like you to explore each of these features in a bit more detail.

What would you use parks like Redhall Farm & Beeston Park for?

Sports

Kids’ play

Walking & fitness

Access to nature

Enjoying formal gardens

Walking the dog

Attending performances

Picnicking

What would you use the community centre for?

Sports

Wedding reception

Birthday parties

Attending/ putting on performances

Nursery

Community meals/events

Special interest club meetings

Social clubs

Dedicated bike lanes

Secure bicycle storage facilities

Off-road leisure bike routes

Local bike repair shop

Cycling club

Bike hire

Cycling classes for all ages

Help with cost of buying a bike

What would make it easiest for you to use your car less?

Opportunities for walking and exercise close by

Work from home sometimes or all the time

Convenient access to a car club

Getting to work by bike or foot

Reliable bus service to city centre

Convenient home delivery of food and bulky items

Safe walking and cycling routes to schools

Kids activities closer to home

What would you change about your own home to make it more efficient?

Draughtproofing

Insulate roofs, walls and windows

Boiler upgrade

Home energy audit

Low-flush toilets and low flow taps and showers

Energy and water efficient appliances

Fit a water meter

Rainwater collection (e.g water butt)

What would help make cycling more appealing to you?

Figure6.2:Accompanyingthepublicexhibition,thisinteractivesurveyaskedparticipantstovoteoneightthemes

Figure6.3:Localchildrendescribingtheirvisionfor BeestonPark

STAGE 3: DESIGN REVIEW (SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2011) 6.0 made up of experts in urban design, architecture, planning, and sustainability and has an advisory role; it is a non-statutory consultee in the planning process and its comments can be a material consideration in reaching planning decisions. Beyond Green presented and discussed emerging proposals with the DRP on 6th October 2011. The presentation was pre-ceded by a site visit on 27th September to familiarise members of the DRP with the site and the local area. The comments from the panel can be found in Appendix 7. They have also been considered in Chapter 8 Consultation issues and responses.

6.2. KEY FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS 6.2.1. Design and sense of place Housing: concern that NS&OC should establish character and avoid a sense of being a ‘relentless housing estate’; more detail was requested on the type of blocks and houses to ensure quality and deliverability; agreement that adaptability of buildings was important to allow evolution over time. Focal points: discussion around the size of the Main Square, some concern that it may be too large for its context; concern also over the impact of the main road on the quality of the Main Square.

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It’s good to have a primary school close to the High Street to bring people in – and it can link to Beeston Park.

”

Integration: concern over impact of development on existing housing at Old Catton; agreement that the relationship between new and existing communities is important; concern over impact of NDR junction on the character and quality of the northern edge and parks.

6.2.2. Economic prosperity and jobs Retail and employment: some concern that significant retail or employment will not be viable, and if it is viable that it won’t ‘harm’ other centres or detract from the regeneration of Norwich; further detail required on capacity of Main Square and Wroxham Road for retail and employment space; agreement on the need for adaptable buildings and temporary programmes to help growth of jobs and housing, and to encourage entrepreneurialism.

“

The place and its character will need to evolve over time and with the economy, so you need flexibility in structure and use.

”

Food and economy: agreement that food should be a key focus of the sustainable economy at NS&OC; general agreement that making Red Hall Farm and Beeston Park into commercial ventures early should help stimulate local economy. Skills: a programme for re-skilling the workforce will be important and should be linked to new construction methods and green technologies; Broadland “Trades Training” programme highlighted as a good example. Emphasis needed on exploiting latent and under-employed skills among older population and students.

Figure 6.4: Specialist stakeholders discuss draft plans and proposals for NS&OC

Tourism: the development should cater for general and professional tourism including eco-tourism.

This may not mean lots of hotels but plenty of places to eat and pass the time.

6.2.3. Creating community Social and community infrastructure: general support for the amount and distribution of community infrastructure; concern that adequate provision should be made for elderly people and those with special needs; concern that phasing should deliver social infrastructure and economy alongside homes and ‘place’, particularly schools which are under pressure of numbers in the local area. Temporary facilities might assist in making sure that early residents have access to facilities without needing full outlay before population is sufficient to sustain them. Community halls need to be sized correctly and managed to get maximum use so that they are viable. Housing mix: support for the idea of tenures other than open market sale and social/affordable renting to create a housing ladder, but some scepticism about the longevity of private rental as a growing tenure choice. Quality of accommodation would be key to popularity regardless of tenure, with support for tenure-blind development and differentiated housing types within different parts of the plan according to character, as influenced by issues like density and access to amenities. Support for special attention to the needs of older people and first time buyers, but without creating overly specialised products or enclaves.

“

Alternative ownership schemes will become more and more attractive…you need to make sure first time buyers will be accommodated.

”

Shopping and leisure: support for local shops combined with fear that they would not thrive because of proximity to large supermarkets ; this could be combated by focusing on a type or culture of shopping (small, local traditional high street) rather than individual shops. Adaptable building

6.0 STAGE 3: DESIGN REVIEW (SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2011) would be important to coping with ebbs and flows in local shopping demand and demographic change. Concern about the viability of pubs with so many closing. Governance: scepticism about the purpose and value of introducing a community trust to the development without clear understanding of how it would relate to existing, well-established parish councils and be independent of the developer. Any trust or similar body should be provided with an asset to help create funds, such as management of woodland. Agreement that an estate management body – run by professionals but perhaps with residents elected onto the board for representation – would be important. Maintenance will be a major issue, with costs and responsibilities split between parishes, Broadland, Norfolk and the developer.

6.2.4. Green infrastructure Green spaces network: there was strong support for the inclusion and enhancement of Beeston Park and Red Hall Farm as key pieces of GI network; more detail was requested on the small and intermediate size green spaces with a need to illustrate this more effectively on plan identified; concern that the northern edge of the development backing onto the NDR is currently quite weak. Sport: some concern that sports pitches are less accessible on the edges of development but acknowledgement that they would likely still be used as they will be a destination; agreement that lack of sports pitches by the Park and Ride would be made up for by informal access to Beeston Park; support for informal play spaces within streets and distributed green spaces. Connections: development should provide connections both within the site and beyond linking to the wider countryside and with the Broads in mind; connections within the development should provide circular walks and a strong link to sports facilities and Beeston Park.

Woodland: trees are very prominent in the landscape here and should be highlighted within the development as multifunctional assets. Food production: support for allotments linked to attenuation areas for irrigation; agreement that use of high quality soil in areas for food production makes sense; the development should consider the urban/rural transect in its design of green spaces and spaces for food production.

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Diversion of the North Walsham Road: support for the principle of maximising through traffic and passing trade, but concern over the potential negative impact of high traffic volumes on the main square. NDR: concern over impact of traffic at NS&OC, particularly traffic volumes on the east-west connection if the NDR does not receive funding.

6.2.6. Energy, water and waste

We need more allotments – the allotments at Sprowston have a huge waiting list.

Energy: support for renewable or low carbon energy generation mechanism that would be scalable for use by other developments; support also for smaller scale renewables.

SuDS: further detail is needed on the integration of SuDS into the development and its link to flood prevention; support for measures such as permeable paving within the development.

Water: strong support for an ambitious strategy including green water recycling in the home.

”

6.2.5. Transport Streets: the structuring of the street hierarchy was agreed, however more detail was requested on typologies to ensure quality and deliverability, and some concerns were raised over the width of streets, particularly those incorporating cycle lanes. Parking: concern over how the ambitious targets on parking would be met; agreement that phasing of car parking would be important, especially around the Main Square and Church Lane.

“

If you want to reduce car reliance and parking you have to provide real alternatives for local people and businesses.

”

Traffic: concern that an increase in traffic would cause additional congestion in the local area; agreement that Church Lane should remain as a no-through route for cars at the allotments.

“

Management of SuDS will be key – and experience in Sprowston has proven it’s difficult.

”

Flooding: concern raised over the impact of the development on flooding; it was agreed that the development should aim to retain all surface water within the boundary of the site and ensure adequate measures were in place to deal with flooding, taking into account the impact of climate change; agreement that management of SuDS is vital for effective flood management. Waste: waste reduction measures will be vital in achieving sustainability ambitions at the household and business level; concern that alternative solutions for waste disposal should be considered.

6.2.7. Delivery Phasing: discussion over best phasing arrangement for the development; agreement that it was complex but important that the

tone and character of the development was set early to ensure deliverability of Beyond Green’s aspirations; concern that community facilities should be phased to meet need and allow for flexibility in use over time.

“

It’ll be important that the identity of the place is created early on – you need to set a marker for what you’re trying to do.

”

Quality: concern that the quality aspired to and promised would not be delivered; agreed need to start work early on delivery including a design code and partnership with a range of organisations to ensure high quality design, build and long term management.

STAGE 3: DESIGN REVIEW (SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2011) 6.0 6.3. FEEDING BACK TO STAKEHOLDERS Feedback from the consultation events and information on next steps for the project was reported back to stakeholders through: •• a stakeholder forum held after the design workshops; the presentation from this event was made available to all stakeholders on the Beyond Green website; •• feedback and progress updates sent by email to specialist stakeholders and members of the public who had registered to receive updates including a link to the presentation of key findings from the stakeholder forum; •• a presentation to Old Catton Parish Council; •• a presentation to Sprowston Neighbourhood Planning Workshop;

of key findings; stakeholders were invited to email broadland@beyondgreen.co.uk with any questions or for further information; and •• a series of Q&As for NS&OC was made available on the Beyond Green website with answers to the most common questions arising from the events.

6.4. DESIGN EVOLUTION Feedback from design workshops informed work to refine and test the emerging masterplan and supporting strategies prior to a ‘design freeze’ at the end of January 2012 to enable the scheme to be subjected to Environmental Impact Assessment and Transport Assessment. Full details of design evolution during this consultation stage can be found in the Design and Access Statement.

•• updates on the Beyond Green website including a summary and videos of the events, a copy of the exhibition boards and the presentation

7.0 STAGE 4: REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENT OF PROPOSALS (NOVEMBER 2011 – AUGUST 2012) The final period of engagement took place between November 2011 and August 2012, leading up to submission of an outline planning application in October 2012. This period aimed to identify and resolve outstanding matters relating to the proposals for NS&OC and included: •• discussions and workshops with specialist stakeholders; •• GNDP Design Review Panel presentation and review.

7.1. ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN

7.2. FEEDING BACK TO STAKEHOLDERS

7.1.1. Specialist discussions and workshops

During this period of consultation, stakeholders received feedback and information on next steps for the project through:

During this period, a programme of intensive discussions and workshops with specialist stakeholders ran in parallel to design work. Meetings were held with individuals from 21 organisations in this stage of consultation. These are listed in Appendix 8. Issues covered included: •• water supply and waste water; •• green infrastructure, conservation;

ecology,

trees

and

•• facilities for health and social care; •• impact of development on the Broads and Appropriate Assessment; •• Community Infrastructure Levy; •• school provision associated with the scheme; •• minerals; •• archeology;

•• presentation to the DRP identifying how the proposals had evolved in response to their points of feedback from the June presentation; •• presentation to Broadland District Council officers; •• presentation to councilors from Broadland District Council, Sprowston Town Council and Spixworth Parish Council; •• notification of the intended date for submission of the outline planning application were sent by email and letter to specialist stakeholders and members of the public who had registered to receive updates;

•• airport safeguarding matters;

•• updates on the Beyond Green website including notification of submission of the outline planning application and associated public exhibition.

•• sports and recreational provision; and

7.3. DESIGN EVOLUTION

•• discussions with potential energy and smart metering/smart grid providers.

Following the ‘freezing’ of the design to enable formal environmental and transport assessments to take place, final scheme adjustments focused on technical changes following discussions with specialist stakeholders to make the scheme as robust as possible in design, planning and environmental terms.

•• provision of worship/church office facilities;

7.1.2. Greater Norwich Design Review Panel A second presentation was given to the DRP on 8th March 2012. The comments from the panel can be found in Appendix 9. They have also been considered in Chapter 8 Consultation issues and responses.

•• ongoing feedback to specialist stakeholders primarily through informal feedback at meetings and meeting notes summarising the key points and agreed actions;

Full details of design evolution during this consultation stage can be found in Chapter 4 of the Design and Access Statement.

CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES 8.0 This Chapter summarises the issues that have been subject to consultation throughout the course of this process and the actions that have been taken or responses made to them.

8.1. ECONOMY & JOBS Issue

Action/response

Concern that development should not undermine efforts to generate sector-based ‘clusters’ in other places around Norwich

Although significant in the context of the development, the scale of employment proposed at NS&OC is modest compared with strategic employment allocations in the Greater Norwich area. It is anticipated that the majority of businesses locating at NS&OC will be SMEs in the service sector and that many will be attracted by the particular place characteristics and brand of NS&OC which will be different from most if not all Strategic Employment Locations (SELs). See Social and Economic Development Statement for further details.

Enthusiasm for creating a ladder of support for small companies within a new community

A range of facilities for small and growing businesses has been identified at NS&OC including a mix of business premises (including rent-controlled incubation and move-on accommodation) and an enterprise ‘hub’ providing back office support, IT and meeting facilities. Beyond Green will work with Broadland DC and others to ensure businesses at NS&OC have access to high-quality business development services. See Social and Economic Development Statement for further details.

Concern that development should improve access to work in Norwich city centre as well as support the creation of local jobs

The location of a significant amount of employment (up to 1,000 jobs) on-site is vital to the creation of a vibrant mixed community. However, Beyond Green are actively working with Broadland District Council and others to enhance bus and cycle connections and improve the accessibility of employment opportunities within the city centre for those living in and close to NS&OC. As the development progresses connections to other employment centres such as Broadland Business Park and Norwich Airport will also be improved through the introduction of orbital public transport connections. See Design and Access Statement and Public Transport Statement for further details.

Concern that the skills from some key groups in Greater Norwich – including former students and older people – should be better harnessed

This is certainly the case and although there are limits to what a single, even large-scale, development can do Beyond Green will work with stakeholders to address under-employment among target groups. One key way of doing this is to improve the environment for small businesses, sociallyoriented enterprises and homeworkers – for example by providing affordable, flexible workspaces, an enterprise ‘hub’ providing business support, and opportunities for local enterprise for example in the management of green infrastructure and running on-site businesses. See Social and Economic Development Statement for further details.

Support for incorporating a mix of uses but some concern that significant retail or employment will not be viable, and if it is viable that it won’t ‘harm’ other centres

Concern about the viability of mixed-uses at NS&OC is understandable given the proximity of large supermarkets and the range of other employment locations in the area. However, Beyond Green believes that the nature of the overall proposals for NS&OC, and in particular the emphasis on creating an authentically sustainable development based on close-grained patterns of interaction and exchange and a vibrant street life, differentiate it from other, potentially ‘competing’ offers. A Town Centre Uses impacts assessment has been carried out and accompanies the planning application which demonstrates that development at NS&OC should not harm established centres. See the Social and Economic Development Statement for further details.

8.0 CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES Issue

Action/response Although not to be overstated, there is clear evidence that the appeal of home-working is growing. NS&OC will cater for this including through the provision of:

View that working at or closer to home is a growing trend with a particular appeal to many people in Norwich and Norfolk

• dedicated homeworking units within the housing mix; • an enterprise ‘hub’; • superb ICT infrastructure; and • good public transport to enable homeworkers and micro-entrepreneurs to get around. See Social and Economic Development Statement for further details.

Concern that use of new green technologies and build methods may be limited by lack of necessary skills

A development of this scale will demand a wide range of skills many of which could potentially be sourced locally. Some elements will require the development of new capacity and skills in the local construction industry including by working with experts from further afield. If the proposal are granted outline planning consent Beyond Green will work with established networks such as Build Norfolk to ensure that there is awareness of the development programme and to maximise opportunities for local procurement. See Delivery and Management Statement for further details.

CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES 8.0 8.2. CREATING COMMUNITY Issue

Concern that new development should incorporate a high level of local amenities such as schools, healthcare facilities, shops, cafes and meeting places, and that they should be delivered early enough to avoid overburdening existing facilities

Action/response The proposals for NS&OC envisage a comprehensive mix of local amenities. While it is acknowledged that many new developments under-deliver these amenities, the provision of these facilities is fundamental to the success of NS&OC, it makes the difference between a housing development and a real community. This is likely to be more readily enabled by Beyond Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business model than those of other developers whose sole interest is in housebuilding, because development that is not necessarily independently viable in the short-term can be value-creating with a longer-term perspective. The phasing scheme for NS&OC allows the delivery of mixed-use development in the earlier phases so that by the time there is a significant residential population on-site, community facilities are in place to support them. Provision of some facilities is however in the hands of statutory providers, and Beyond Green will work closely with these providers to ensure timely delivery of first-class facilities. See Social and Economic Development Statement and Delivery and Management Statement for further details.

Facilities need to be co-located to create concentrations of activity during the day and bring people out and about at focal points

Fears that development of schools will not keep pace with population growth and that existing facilities will be overburdened. School provision at NS&OC should be part of a collaborative approach to reduce underachievement in Norfolk

A critical mass of community facilities have been located around the Main Square, Wroxham Road Square and other focal places where people will naturally congregate and pass through. This will maximise accessibility and their prospects of sustained viability. See Social and Economic Development Statement for further details. Current school procurement policy leaves developers with limited power over the timing and nature of school provision. Beyond Green has, however, discussed proposed primary school provision on site with the Local Education Authority and the phasing plan provides for a school to be developed in the first phase of development. Beyond Green shares Norfolk County Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision for education in the County and hope to collaborate closely to ensure that the two new primary schools proposed for NS&OC are outstanding in their levels of achievement and in their fit with the sustainability ethos of the place. See Social and Economic Development Statement for further details.

8.0 CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES Issue

Action/response There is a difficult balance to be struck between the desire to integrate NS&OC with its host town and parish and the fact that past planning and design actions severely restrict physical connection with the existing community. Focus has been on maximising the efficacy of several key connections to Sprowston and Old Catton: • significant attention given to the connection at Church Lane South so as to maximise the accessibility of NS&OC for existing Sprowston residents;

Concern that development should be an extension of Sprowston and Old Catton rather than a ‘new community’. NS&OC provides the opportunity to create a new centre of community for Sprowston

• providing new recreational facilities sought by local people at Old Catton; and • reinforcing the existing district centre at Old Catton with small-scale local additional facilities, such as a pub. The Main Square, the focal point of community life, has been located near the centre of the new development in order to make it as accessible as possible to the maximum number of people and benefit from passing trade along the North Walsham Road. This is consequently further from existing communities than it theoretically could be, but this increases the likelihood of a successful, vibrant centre developing that will be of great benefit to both new and existing residents of Sprowston. See Social and Economic Development Statement for further details.

Concern over impact of Tesco superstore on NS&OC

Beyond Green are confident that the shopping experience at NS&OC will be radically different from, and thus complementary to, that offered by very large supermarkets. From consultation work the overwhelming body of feedback is that while people are concerned that a traditional high street at NS&OC could be vulnerable to supermarket competition, many of the same people would use such a high street if it were there. See Design and Access Statement for details. Extensive provision has been made at NS&OC for young people, including games areas and informal recreational space.

Provision for young people, in particular safe meeting places in central locations with good lighting

‘Hanging around’ is what many young people like to do and is only a problem if it takes place where the design of space places them or others at perceived or actual safety risk. Public space at NS&OC will be subject to the ‘natural surveillance’ that comes from effective urban design, such as active facing frontage, and will provide a welcoming environment for people of all ages to socialise. See Green Infrastructure Statement and Safe and Inclusive Design Statement. The scheme proposes a wide mix of housing balancing evidence of need and market appetite which is deisgned to achieve precisely this outcome.

Housing should consist of a wide mix of types and sizes, so that people can move home as their needs change without needing to move out of the neighbourhood

There will be small and larger apartments targeted at first-time householders and downsizers, terraced houses of different sizes for small and growing families, and larger townhouses, and semidetached and detached homes for established families and those seeking more space. Importantly, the mix of tenures will also enable broad accessibility, with private rental, shared ownership and other ‘intermediate’ tenures being integrated alongside the traditionally dominant tenures of open market sale and statutory affordable housing. See Housing Statement for further details.

CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES 8.0 Issue Housing should be ‘tenure blind’ and affordable homes should be fully integrated with private housing

Housing should be of high design quality, but not necessarily traditional design

Action/response Housing will be tenure blind and affordable housing ‘pepperpotted’ wherever feasible. The combination of variety of types and sizes of building in the composition of streets within the scheme will also militate against concentrations of single types, sizes and tenures of housing. See Housing Statement for further details. As an outline application, this application does not prescribe detailed housing designs. These will be fully explored at detailed design stage, and with guidance from a Site-Wide Design and Sustainability Code which will be produced prior to detailed planning applications being submitted. The Housing Statement does, however, explain the wide variety of typologies under consideration as part of a transect-based approach to design. The Design and Access Statement also shows how the parameterbased plans allow for fine-grained development and architectural diversity. It is envisaged that around 2.5% of plots (90 or so) will be made available for self-commissioned or self-build housing in accordance with the Site-Wide Design and Sustainability Code, constituting a small but important part of the housing mix and contributing to the character of the scheme. See Design and Access Statement, Housing Statement and Delivery and Management Statement for further details.

Debate over the character of housing appropriate to Norfolk, particularly in relation to density and gardens

Although overall a compact development, with approximately 40 dwellings to the net hectare, the transect-based design approach allows for significant variation of character in different locations. Buildings will range from three storeys or greater close to the urban centres and where accessibility is greatest, to more widely-spaced, predominantly two-storey development in more suburban conditions or those backing onto parks or open fields. Most participants agreed that housing on more compact plots would be acceptable if linked to a high standard of collective amenities. See Housing Statement for further details.

Demographic change does and will require extensive provision for older people: not necessarily sheltered or ‘extra care’ housing, but innovative housing types and tenures that would appeal to people wanting to age actively

Many of the core housing types proposed, such as urban apartments and park-edge apartment villas, have been designed to appeal to older people. Facilities such as residential care homes are not specified at this stage principally because it is relatively early in the development process for expressions of interest. Scope for these will be considered at later stages. More widely, local accessibility to services and shops and safe, naturally busy public spaces are important to older people, and this is a key focus of the layout and design of NS&OC. See Housing Statement and Design and Access Statement for further details.

Concern that Affordable Housing does not address the problem that many people not eligible for Affordable Housing struggle to get on the housing ladder

Many people, especially young people, are now squeezed between prices rising relative to incomes and the tougher conditions placed on mortgage finance. There is no evidence that this is a temporary phenomenon. The Housing Statement explains how tenures such as long-term rental and private-sector shared ownership will be considered in order to increase tenure choice and broaden accessibility to market housing, especially for those starting out, creating not just affordable housing but housing local people can afford. See Housing Statement for further details.

8.0 CONSULTATION CONSULTATIONISSUES ISSUESAND ANDRESPONSES RESPONSES 8.3. GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE Issue

Identified need for a large new publicly accessible green space in Sprowston and the Growth Triangle; strong support for retention and enhancement of Beeston Park and Red Hall Farm as key pieces of the green infrastructure network

Action/response Provision of a Beeston Park as a major new public park and part of a network of linked parks at NS&OC including Red Hall Farm. The series of parks make up over 50ha of publicly accessible green space for residents and local people to enjoy, meeting the need for NS&OC and neighbouring parishes. The park also provides a new strategic green space for the wider Growth Triangle, helping to take recreational pressure off the Broads and provide an opportunity to mitigate for the impact of development within the Growth Triangle on the Broads. See Green Infrastructure Statement for further details. The land at NS&OC presents a number of unique opportunties for provision of new publicly accessible green spaces. Proposals have been driven by and take advantage of key landscape features of the site, for example:

The development should aim to use existing assets and reflect the local landscape character of the area

•

Red Hall Farm and Beeston Park retained and enhanced (see above);

•

the prominence of trees in the local urban landscape reflected through the integration of greener streets, the retention of 95% of existing trees on site and planting of at least 1500 new trees on streets and within neighbourhood spaces;

•

the character and distinctiveness of Beeston Lane and Church Lane South retained and integrated within key green spaces - as a park at Beeston Lane and village green at Church Lane South;

•

the predominantly agricultural nature of the land reflected in a programme for peri-urban food that aims to put NS&OC on the map as a hub for sustainable farming (see below); and

•

integration of existing and new wildlife corridors within the urban fabric, with specific provision for bats, invertebrates and swifts (see below).

See Green Infrastructure Statement for further details. A range of multifunctional green spaces varying in size and character are provided at NS&OC, creating a rich urban ecology and enabling it’s residents to be active, to grow their own food if they wish and to connect readily and frequently with the natural, living, environment. Strong support for green spaces to act as a continuous and multifunctional network running through the development, increasing access and connections to green space and the countryside

In addition to the linked park areas described above, recreation grounds, neighbourhood parks, greens and pocket parks are distributed throughout the development and linked by greener streets with additional planting, green walls and green roofs to form a continuous green network. In total, about 40% of land within the planning application boundary for NS&OC will be publicly accessible green space providing residents and local people with spaces for everyday use as well as opening up significant areas of historic parkland at Beeston Park which are currently closed to the public and increasing access to the countryside on land with no existing public rights of way. See Green Infrastructure Statement for further details.

8.0

CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES 8.0 Issue

Action/response Extensive ecological surveys of the site and its immediate surrounds have been undertaken over a period of two years to provide a full and detailed understanding of existing habitats and species in and around NS&OC. These have been used to help form the ecology and wildlife proposals which aim to achieve net biodiversity gains by avoiding significant ecological impacts where possible, mitigating and compensating for unavoidable impacts and bringing about ecological enhancements wherever possible. A series of measures are proposed to achieve this including: • 16ha semi-natural woodland enhanced and managed as primary habitat and foraging space for bats and other species;

Concern over loss of existing wildlife and wildlife corridors; support for proposals to maximise ecology in the urban environment

• restoration and extension of 34ha parkland and scattered trees at Beeston Park and Red Hall Farm providing enhanced habitat for bats, invertebrates and other species; • four distinct green routes identified for bat habitat incorporating areas of woodland, green space and greener streets designed to provide a low light and low noise environment; • retention of 95% of trees on site including all of those of the highest quality (Category A); • a range of ecological niches within the urban environment including green roofs for invertebrates and provision for swifts; Phasing of ecological mitigation has also been considered to ensure early planting of areas that will take longer to develop. See Green Infrastructure Statement and Environmental Statement for further details.

Good management involving the community and town/parish councils is essential in the short, medium and long term

Long term involvement in the management of the development is a core principle of Beyond Green’s delivery model. As such, and because of the nature and multifunctionality of the green spaces at NS&OC, long-term management of green infrastructure will be vital, and will require working in partnership with a range of partners including members of the local community and Sprowston Town Council and Old Catton Parish Council. Discussions on management have already begun through the GNDP’s Green Infrastructure Steering Group and as discussed in Chapter 7, Beyond Green intends to actively seek development and delivery partners outside of this to identify those with an interest in becoming fully involved with the delivery of green infrastructure at NS&OC. See Green Infrastructure Statement and Delivery and Management Statement for further details.

8.0 CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES Issue

Action/response As part of a wider food strategy aiming to put NS&OC on the map as a hub for sustainable food and farming, 1.8ha of space has been provided for allotments and community food growing areas. These spaces are distributed throughout the development to ensure that all new homes are close to an allotment or community food growing are; will incorporate Grade 2 agricultural soil taken from elsewhere on the development site; and are co-located with areas for surface water attenuation where possible for irrigation.

Identified need for allotments in the local area with long waiting lists particularly in Sprowston; support for provision of opportunities for food production within the urban environment

In addition to allotments, other opportunities for food production have been identified including: • Red Hall farm as a centre for food and rural activity; • a forest garden associated with Beeston Park, based on the traditional idea of community orchards; • edible landscape in the form of a network of fruit and nut trees and plants; and • small food business opportunities. In addition, land for a 1.2ha extension to the existing Sprowston allotments has also been provided. For further details including of the wider food strategy, see the Green Infrastructure Statement. A significant level of sports provision calculated in accordance with Broadland District Council’s adopted Recreational Open Space SPD, has been incorporated into the proposals for NS&OC alongside other informal opportunities. The main types are: • three recreation grounds totaling 12.2ha located at the edges of the development to maximise accessibility and providing sports pitches, courts, bowling green and other formal facilities;

The development should address the shortage of accessible sports facilities in the area

• equipped play spaces for all ages, located within 200m of all homes; • smaller streets as safe spaces for children’s play and walking and fitness routes identified throughout the development; and • Beeston Park with areas for formal and informal play and informal open space within neighbourhood parks. See Green Infrastructure Statement for further details.

CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES 8.0 8.4. TRANSPORT Issue

Implications for development and traffic impacts with and without the NDR

Action/response The sustainable movement strategy for NS&OC aims to maximise modal shift away from the private car, the same strategy applies with or without the NDR and Beyond Green does not believe that delivering NS&OC is dependent on the NDR. However the NDR has now secured central government funding and is likely to be delivered in Spring 2017. The Transport Assessment for NS&OC models the impact of development with and without the NDR up to 2022 (approximately 1,600 homes), TA modeling does not indicate significant adverse impact on orbital and radial routes under either scenario. We expect to be required to review our transport strategy in the event that the NDR is not delivered by 2022. See Transport Assessment for further details.

Support for the principle of diversion of the North Walsham Road, but concern over the potential negative impact of high traffic volumes on the main square

In response to concerns over traffic impacts and to comments on the scale of the main square, the layout has been revised to incorporate a development block between the North Walsham Road and the square. The final design of the junction will be decided in detailed design, however initial design studies have focused on balancing motor vehicle capacity, and in particular north â&#x20AC;&#x201C; south capacity, with the quality of the pedestrian environment and ease of crossing. See Transport Assessment and Design and Access Statement for further details.

Concern over frequency and cost of bus services, including the need for frequent evening and early morning services

Beyond Green agree that bus services that are not reliable and frequent from the outset will not be well-used. The Public Transport Statement sets out how bus services will be phased in as NS&OC grows, with a minimum 30 minute daytime frequency rising to a bus every 5 minutes or less by completion. Evening services will also be phased in over time. The Statement also explains the role developer subsidy may play in securing these services. See Public Transport Statement for further details.

Concern over impact of the airport on new residents at NS&OC, including noise from engine testing activity

Proximity to Norwich Airport has both advantages and disadvantages. A Noise Assessment has been completed which indicates that noise levels form the Airport are well within acceptable thresholds, and no development is taking place within the safeguarded Public Safety Zone. However, it will be important that potential residents are informed of the potential for noise from the airport, including from future growth in the Airportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities, and understand that aviation activity will inevitably be audible and visible at certain times. See Environmental Statement for further details.

Concern over how the ambitious targets on parking would be met, particularly given the need for sufficient parking for residents and workers in this rural county

Reflecting concerns over parking levels, the parking strategy at NS&OC will accomodate adopted quantitative parking standards. A robust system for managed parking restraint will be established to allow the supply of parking to be reduced over time in accordance with sustainable travel objectives and outcomes. A substantial share of residential parking will be off-plot (i.e. on-street or in-courtyard) allowing occupation of property to be separated from ownership or tenancy of parking spaces, with off-plot parking managed on a permit-leasing basis by the development management company or the local authority. Streets will be designed to accommodate on street parking, avoiding informal parking that has caused problems in neighbouring developments. See Design and Access Statement for further details.

8.0 CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES Issue

Concern that increased traffic would lead to more congestion in the local area

Action/response Although Beyond Green are committed to helping people to travel less and to do more of their essential travel by sustainable modes, and aiming for traffic neutrality over time through area-wide travel planning, it is recognised that development will put additional cars onto the highway network. The impacts of additional traffic on the network have been extensively modelled in the Transport Assessment, and appropriate mitigation of that impact proposed. The development will also take place against the backdrop of the implementation of the Norwich Area Transport Strategy (NATS) which will invest in both highways and sustainable transport improvements aimed at accommodating growth within Greater Norwichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transport system. See Transport Assessment and Framework Travel Plan for further details.

Support for provision of excellent cycle infrastructure; concern that improvements should also be made to offsite provision to significantly improve efficacy

The NS&OC street network will be designed to be safe, legible and well connected, making walking and cycling the transport mode of choice at the local level. If successful in securing outline planning permission we will work with Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council and Broadland District Council to explore opportunities to improve the quality and safety of routes to and from NS&OC. In the short term this is likely to include measures such as signage and priority improvements to existing pedestrian and cycle crossings to maximise use of existing routes identified by the Norwich Cycling Map. In the medium â&#x20AC;&#x201C; long term we will seek the introduction of dedicated cycle infrastructure on the North Walsham Road and the removal of barriers such the one way system on Magdellan Street to create a direct cycle route from NS&OC to the city centre. See Design and Access Statement and Framework Travel Plan for further details.

More detail requested on typologies to ensure quality and deliverability, and some concerns were raised over the width of streets, particularly those incorporating cycle lanes

Further work on street typologies has been undertaken since consultation events were held. There are a number of attributes that define the overall look, feel and character of the street and these are set out in the parameter and transect plans and street hierarchy, which provide the template for detailed design of streets. The street hierarchy determines the key features and attributes of the street network, based on character and function. The relationship between street width and building heights has been tested through the production of a range of sections for each street typology. See Design and Access Statement for further details.

CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES 8.0 8.5. ENERGY, WATER & WASTE Issue

Desire to see a scalable low carbon energy generation mechanism to supply NS&OC

Action/response The Energy and Utilities Statement outlines a number of strategic energy opportunities in the north Norwich area, which NS&OC is in a position to support. These include onsite power generation or potential off site strategic power generation as part of a wider North of Norwich municipal energy strategy. A number of effective technologies could be applied on site from micro generation including heat pumps, PV, solar thermal, micro fuel cells and domestic biomass meeting through to larger installations of CHP, fuels cells and biomass power. The potential to use electrical generation technology to supply low carbon electricity across the scheme is also being explored. Based on the need for further scheme detail in delivering low carbon utilities further Energy Statements will be provided with each reserved matters application to provide clarity on the approach to delving low carbon utilities. See Energy and Utilities Statement for further details.

Concern over shortage of water in Norfolk; support for an ambitious water strategy including green water recycling

It is recognised that NS&OC is proposed in an area subject to significant water stress. Beyond Green’s intention is to deliver an innovative strategy for water recycling and re-use, aiming for net water neutrality over time. At the time this Outline Planning Application is made, the necessary policy, commercial and technical mechanisms to enable a comprehensive strategy for water neutrality to be implemented – most probably across a wider area than the NS&OC development alone – are not yet in place. In order that a robust and compliant application can be submitted, it is necessary to establish a “baseline” strategy which can demonstrate that the development is deliverable and, if necessary, act as a fall-back option in advance of a framework for water-neutral development being established. This baseline strategy will be combined with the future-proofing of the development to ensure that the infrastructure and services necessary to deliver water neutrality – such as dual plumbing to all buildings – is introduced from the outset. See Water Statement for further details.

Desire to see exemplar ‘green housing’ at NS&OC and concern that Code 4+ is not ambitious enough.

Assessment methodologies such as the Code for Sustainable Homes play a vital role in improving the sustainability of additions to the built environment. However, Beyond Green believe that since people, not buildings, ultimately use energy and resources we need to look at all aspects of a person’s lifestyle, not just their home or workplace, to improve resource efficiency and drive sustainable behaviours. A singular focus on achieving the highest ratings on the Code and other building assessment methodologies would risk allocating resources inefficiently to more expensive forms of carbon abatement when, beyond a certain point, they are better invested in other measures such as those that change travel behaviour or localise supply chains. All homes at NS&OC will achieve a rating of Level 4 or better on the Code, and will generally exceed the overall carbon reduction requirements of Level 4 by a considerable margin. See Sustainability Statement for further explanation and details.

8.0 CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES Issue

Action/response

Concern over flooding at NS&OC with evidence of problems at the Park and Ride site and Sprowston cemetery

Local concern about flooding is acknowledged, and the proposals for NS&OC incorporate as comprehensive sustainable urban drainage (SUDs) strategy on which there has been extensive preapplication consultation with the Environment Agency and Norfolk County Council. Elements off the strategy include significant areas of green space for attenuation, infiltration blankets and boreholes, and storage ponds located within Beeston Park. See Design and Access Statement, Green Infrastructure Statement and Flood Risk Assessment for further details.

Support to integrate management of energy, water and waste initiatives where possible, and to use as a means of helping the integration of new residents with existing communities

The potential synergy in the management of energy, water and waste supplies/services is acknowledged. There is a range of options for the delivery of these services to NS&OC; it is not necessary to finalise these at the current stage of planning and the mechanisms will continue to be explored in detailed design and delivery planning. Some of the options involve the management of these services at a wider scale, including potentially improvements to existing homes. See Energy and Utilities Statement, Water Statement and Delivery and Management Statement for further details.

CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES 8.0 8.6. DESIGN & SENSE OF PLACE Issue

Agreement that NS&OC should establish character and avoid a sense of being a ‘relentless housing estate’

Action/response The character and identity of urban places is created through careful attention to detail at three scales: the overall plan for the development; the assemblage of components within urban space; and individual buildings with their architectural details. The emphasis in developing the design for NS&OC to the present outline stage is on the first two, creating fine grain urbanism that allows for a variety of places and buildings to be accommodated within a legible and permeable street network. A Site-Wide Design and Sustainability Code will be developed prior to the submission of the first phase application for use by all involved in the detailed design of development at NS&OC. It is intended that this will be prepared in consultation with stakeholders and the local community, extending the process of collaboration developed in work on the project to date. Once the Code is in place it is proposed that a Community Design Review Panel, which would draw representation from stakeholders and the public (and after occupation specifically from residents of NS&OC) as well as from the Norfolk design community be established to steer detailed design proposals in accordance with the Code. See Design and Access Statement and Delivery Statement for further details.

Concern that houses and public spaces should be high quality, diverse and adaptable; and should learn from local examples both good and bad

The OPA provides the framework for the creation of high quality homes and public spaces and has been informed by analysis of traditional Norfolk urbanism and more recent development. The development of the Site Wide Design and Sustainability Code before the first phase application will set the requirements for high quality homes and public spaces, including the need for adaptable mixed use and residential buildings in appropriate locations. The development of the Design And Sustainability Code will be informed by further analysis of recent development and traditional places/ architecture. See Design and Access Statement, Housing Statement and Delivery Statement for further details.

Concern that development should be integrated with the surrounding area

The NS&OC site is unusual in that, despite its proximity to the existing urban edge, connectivity is limited by existing playing fields, woodland, allotment, the Park-and-Ride and the cul-de-sac layout of the neighbouring development. The critical connection that can be made is along Church Lane, via the Sprowston Millennium Woodland and St Mary’s and St. Margaret’s Church, this will become an important pedestrian and cycle route between older and new parts of Sprowston, and development at Church Lane South will be designed to create gateway centred on a green. See Design and Access Statement for further details.

8.0 CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES Issue

Action/response At NS&OC, a simple four-stage transect has been developed as a basis for setting development parameters and guiding detailed design. Each block within the development is ascribed to one or more transect types according to its location and expected function, this confers on that block certain qualities including:

Concern that sufficient detail should be provided on the type of blocks and houses to ensure quality and deliverability

â&#x20AC;˘ fixed parameters for maximum and minimum building heights, measured in storeys and metres, and maximum and minimum residential density per hectare, measured within the curtilage of the block; and â&#x20AC;˘ qualitative guidelines concerning building frontage width (and thus grain), mix of housing typologies, prevalence of non-residential uses, and parking design. It is intended that conditions will be attached to the parameters to ensure that detailed design is brought forward accordingly. See Design and Access Statement for further details.

Concern over the size of the Main Square

It is important that the central focal place of NS&OC is one conferring a sense of scale and arrival. The size of the Main Square has been reviewed in light of comments made by several stakeholders and detailed studies of successful market squares across Norfolk, and reduced somewhat from initial designs shared with stakeholders and the public. There remains scope to refine the Main Square at detailed design. See Design and Access Statement for further details.

CONSULTATION ISSUES AND RESPONSES 8.0 8.7. DELIVERY Issue

Concern that development would follow standard housebuilder model and not deliver a high quality product

Action/response Part of Beyond Green’s mission is to show that large-scale housing-led development can be done much more functionally, sustainably and attractively than volume housebuilders typically achieve. This means doing a lot of things differently, from the way that development is laid out around interconnected streets to the detailed design of housing and public spaces. This planning application attempts to show how NS&OC will be different in practice, either through firm proposals or by setting out a process for achieving quality at later stages of design. Equally important, however, is Beyond Green’s business model which is much more long-term than that of most housebuilders, being based on long-term value creation rewarding upfront investment in a better quality of design, building and estate management. There will, however, be a role for many builders in the delivery of NS&OC, working to a design code and briefs which maintain standards across the development. See Delivery and Management Statement and Housing Statement for further details.

Beyond Green should work with Parish/Town Councils as well as the Local Authority to ensure high quality management over the long term

Beyond Green are committed to working closely and continually with the Parish and Town Councils into whose areas NS&OC falls. The Councils are likely to have ongoing direct and indirect management roles, for example in the management of green spaces, as well as a vital representative role on the part of the new parishioners living at NS&OC. See Delivery and Management Statement for further details.

Concern over deliverability of a model that relies on partnerships with a large number and range of organisations

Beyond Green believes that making sustainable, successful places is a necessarily complex process involving many people and organisations, and that it is the desire to eliminate rather than manage complexity that often leads to one-dimensional developments lacking in distinction and community life. Beyond Green, as master developer, will have the job of orchestrating a process that ensures that those who need to be involved – from statutory bodies to service providers to business and residential investors in the development – are involved at the right time and in the best way. See Delivery and Management Statement for further details.

Concern that key social and other infrastructure should be phased to meet need and allow for flexibility in use over time; agreement that the tone and character of the development should be set early

The phasing of the development provides for an early concentration of building around the two squares that will form the main focal centres or gateways of the development, which will help set the tone early. The first phase of development will unlock the main sites for potential social infrastructure, including one of the two new primary school sites, and Beyond Green will work closely with service providers to ensure that services are in place in a timely manner. See Delivery and Management Statement for further details.

9.0 NEXT STEPS IN COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT Beyond Green have been greatly encouraged by the way in which people in Broadland, Norwich and Norfolk have been prepared to commit their expertise, local knowledge and time to working with us to explore and define what a great place could be and how best to integrate with existing fabric, services and communities. Their input will continue to be invaluable should this project proceed, and following submission of the Outline Planning Application we will re-double our efforts to engage and involve.

9.1. POST-SUBMISSION CONSULTATION

9.2. FUTURE ENGAGEMENT

Around the time of submission of the Outline Planning Application, Beyond Green will hold a stakeholder briefing and public exhibition to give stakeholders and members of the public the opportunity to view the application, discuss proposals with Beyond Green staff and find out how to formally comment on the application through Broadland District Council’s statutory consultation process. The exhibition will be made available on Beyond Green’s website alongside the Outline Planning Application documentation.

Opportunities for stakeholder and community engagement will include:

Following submission of the application, Beyond Green will continue to involve stakeholders, neighbouring communities and future residents in the development of a site wide Design and Sustainability Code and then the detailed design and delivery of NS&OC.

•• Community and stakeholder workshops: Following on from the success of workshops and exhibitions run during the development of the outline planning application Beyond Green will continue to engage stakeholders and neighbouring communities in this way. These events will provide an opportunity to inform the development of site wide Design and Sustainability Code, architecture and detailed design for each phase and the design of key public spaces and facilities including Beeston Park. •• Youth engagement: Working alongside local schools, youth groups and specialists in youth engagement we will seek to involve young people in the development of detailed proposals. This could include youth engagement activities running in parallel with the wider consultation programme, design competitions for key public spaces and facilities and establishing a young person’s panel to provide ongoing advice to Beyond Green and our design team and review emerging proposals.

•• Development and delivery partners: Beyond Green will actively seek to identify local individuals, organisations and businesses that have an interest in becoming fully involved in the development and delivery of NS&OC. A wide range of partners will be sought, including local architecture and design firms, local builders and contractors, entrepreneurs and retailers, housing cooperatives and self-builders. voluntary and community organisations and public transport operators. •• GNDP Design Review Panel: We will continue to work with the GNDP DRP on the Design and Sustainability Codes and detailed design of each phase. In this way it is believed that the clear and ambitious principles of sustainable place-making that will define NS&OC can be realised through real local involvement, integration with existing communities, growing confidence and economic success and bold design but with a distinct local flavor and underpinning.

APPENDIX 1: STAGE 1 ONE-TO-ONE MEETINGS HELD A.1 Active Norfolk

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

AgeUK Norwich

Norfolk Children’s Services

Anglian Water

Norfolk Constabulary

Broadland District Council

Norfolk County Council

Broadland HA

Norfolk Estates Forum

Broadland Health and Social Care Panel

Norfolk Rural Community Council

Broads Authority

Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Build Norfolk

Norwich City Council

R.G. Carter Construction

Norwich Co-Housing

Circle Anglia

Norwich Cycling Campaign

Easton College

Norwich Diocese (including Sprowston clergy)

English Heritage

Norwich International Airport

Environment Agency

Norwich Rugby Club

Forestry Commission

Norwich School

GNDP

Norwich Society

GNDP GI steering group

Old Catton Parish Council

Government Office for East of England

Shaping Norfolk’s Future

HCA

SNUB

Local Education Authority

Spixworth Parish Council

Low Carbon Innovation Centre, UEA

Sport England

Natural England

Sprowston Town Council

NNTAG

Sustrans

Norfolk and Norwich Green Party

Wroxham Home Farms

Norfolk Association of Architects

Wherry HA

A.2 APPENDIX 2: COMMUNITY PLANNING EXHIBITION BOARDS

APPENDIX 2: COMMUNITY PLANNING EXHIBITION BOARDS A.2

A.2 APPENDIX 2: COMMUNITY PLANNING EXHIBITION BOARDS

APPENDIX 3: STAGE 2 THEMATIC STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP ATTENDEES A.3 Anglian Water

Norwich International Airport

Bastin Steward Ltd

Norwich RFC

Broadland District Council

Norwich School

Broadland Land Trust

NPS Planning Consultancy, Lancaster House

Church House

NPS Property Consultants

Environment Agency

Norfolk Constabulary

Forestry Commission

Old Catton Parish Council

Greater Norwich Development Partnership

Operational Partnership Team

Hudson Associates

Plan Local Consulting

Hyder Consulting

Salhouse Parish Council

Land Trust

Smallfish

Local Design

South Norfolk Operational Partnership Team, Norfolk Constabulary

Lucas Hickman Smith Ltd.

Spixworth Parish Council

Millennium Babies Project

Sprowston Clergy

Natural England

Stanley House

NHS Norfolk

Sustainable Living Initiative

Norfolk Association of Architects

Townley and Bradby

Norfolk Constabulary Police Architectural Liaison Service

UEA Low Carbon Innovation Centre

Norfolk County Council

Unthank Road

Norfolk Rural Community Council

Walcis Farm

Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Wherry Housing Association

Norwich City Council

Wroxham FC

Norwich Cycling Campaign

A.4 APPENDIX 4: SUMMARY OF INTERACTIVE SURVEY RESULTS Participants in the stakeholder workshops and visitors to public exhibitions at three fetes were invited to participate in an interactive survey about their ideal future community. Over 150 people took part. Survey participants were asked eight questions about their ideal future community: 1. What spaces are important to you? 2. How do you want to get around? 3. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important to you in a home? 4. What public services will people need most? 5. What sort of shops will we need? 6. Where might people work? 7. How will we use resources better? 8. How do you imagine sourcing your food? For each theme, participants had three votes to decide what they thought was most important in a new community. We counted the votes and scored them: 1stchoice: 3 points 2ndchoice: 2 points 3rdchoice: 1 point The results were as followsâ&#x20AC;Ś

APPENDIX 4: SUMMARY OF INTERACTIVE SURVEY RESULTS A.4

A.5 APPENDIX 5: DESIGN REVIEW EXHIBITION BOARDS

APPENDIX 5: DESIGN REVIEW EXHIBITION BOARDS A.5

A.5 APPENDIX 5: DESIGN REVIEW EXHIBITION BOARDS

APPENDIX 5: DESIGN REVIEW EXHIBITION BOARDS A.5

A.6 APPENDIX 6: STAGE 3 DESIGN WORKSHOP ATTENDEES Albion Water

Norfolk County Council

Anglian Water

Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Badger Building (East Anglia) Ltd.

Norwich City Council

Bastin Steward Ltd

Norwich Co-Housing

Beeston Estate

Norwich Cycling Campaign

Broadland District Council

Norwich Diocese

Broadland Land Trust

Norwich RFC

Building Partnerships Limited

NPS Planning Consultancy, Lancaster House

Circle

NPS Property Consultants

City College Norfolk

Norfolk Constabulary

Community Services

Old Catton Parish Council

Community Solutions East

Salhouse Parish Council

English Heritage

Sheils Flynn

Environment Agency

Small Fish

GNDP

Sprowston Clergy

Local Design

Sprowston Town Council

Natural England

UEA Low Carbon Innovation Centre

NHS Norfolk

University of East Anglia

Norfolk Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Services

APPENDIX 7: GREATER NORWICH DESIGN REVIEW PANEL COMMENTS OCT 2011 A.7 Design Review Panel: Development on land adjoining the built up northern fringe of Sprowston and Old Catton Beyond Green Developments Thursday 6 October 2011 The panel would like to thank the team for an excellent, informal, and informative presentation, undertaken in a flexible spirit. It is especially impressive to see the enthusiasm and aspirations of the Beyond Green team. It was also noted that the team are working well with the Planning Authority to create a long term action plan which can be supported by everyone and will be sustainable overtime. We would encourage the scheme to come back for a further review where the panel would appreciate additional focus on how the ‘principles’ by which development will be defined, controlled and monitored in the future.

The proposed site comprises of approximately 250 hectares within in Broadland District adjacent to the built-up northern edge of Norwich. The drafted masterplan to date demonstrates how up to 5,000 new homes might be accommodated in the area over the next 30+ years. A mix of nonresidential facilities is also proposed, including schools, community space, business, retail, leisure accommodation as well as a substantial amount of green and open space. Phasing The Panel understands the strategy of the development is evolving and strongly recommends that careful focus is given to how the 30 year plan is phased. It would assist credibility to provide indicative phasing to show which parts would be/might be developed first, and whether early phases would contain temporary or transitional uses, until population density and market activity increases. The panel would encourage careful thinking around the quality of temporary uses for key areas on the site. For example the temporary activities planned for the High Street centre and how this area will evolve. It is a very brave strategy delivering the High Street and Wroxham Square early in the development phasing. Although the panel commends this approach, they would like to see a developed financial model to show if this is achievable. High Street The panel would like to reinforce the underlying principle of taking the primary radial route though the centre of the High Street. However they expressed concern over the size of the High Street proposed on the masterplan. Their apprehension was predominantly relating to achieving intimacy in this key space at this scale.

Concerns were also expressed around the junctions in the High Street and how they interact, they questioned if these junctions would ‘blow the space apart’. The employment planned for the site is ‘aspirational’ rather than specific at this stage, and the Panel had some difficulty envisaging who/want would relocate into the area. Design The panel felt the masterplan was ‘light’ or ‘open’ on the positioning of ‘civic amenities’ and other catalysts for development and vitality. With few major infrastructure items visible on the preliminary framework, the Panel recognises that the strategy would be enhanced by some credible activitygenerators. Suggested models of growth and feedback from other (East Anglian) locations could be instructive: Inspire East produced a paper on ‘Lessons from Cambourne’ for instance. Energy / Sustainability Although the panel welcome the ambition, they did have some difficulty in understanding how the development would actually achieve the high aspiration of being the lowest carbon development (of this type) in Europe. There are strong contenders!

Due to the long-term nature of the development, the panel would advise modelling of the energy demand on site, energy supplies, and tariffs – to demonstrate the economics over 30 years. Landscape Strategy The panel would appreciate some further clarification of how the landscape strategy will develop over the lifetime of the phases. The panel would like to see a long term landscape strategy developed for the whole of the site, not just the parks. On the current masterplan the following two areas of landscape seem very vulnerable; -

land between the development and the proposed line of the NDR; land between the development and the airport.

The panel was concerned these areas will be forgotten and would encourage further consideration particularly to get an understanding of the wider ripples the development may have which need to be addressed by working with local landowners.

A.8 APPENDIX 8: STAGE 4 SPECIALIST STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS Organisation

Topic of meeting

Anglian Water

Pre-application discussions on water supply and waste water; discussions around potential delivery of innovative water solution

Broadland District Council

Pre-application discussions with officers on: green infrastructure, ecology, trees and conservation, minerals, leisure, planning, design. Briefing presentations for councilors.

Broadland Health and Social Care Panel

Provision of space/facilities for health and social care

Broads Authority

Impact of development on the Broads and Appropriate Assessment

Environment Agency

Water, SuDS, impact of development on the Broads

GNDP

Community Infrastructure Levy

GNDP GI steering group

Discussion on management of green infrastructure

Local Education Authority

School provision associated with the scheme

Norfolk County Council

Pre-application discussions with officers on: minerals, landscape, green infrastructure, SuDS, water, transport, archeology

Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Pre-application discussions on green infrastructure provision and ecology

Norwich City Council

Norwich Cycle Map consultation ride

Norwich Diocese

Provision of worship/church office facilities (representative of other Anglican groups involved)

Norwich International Airport

Airport safeguarding matters

Norwich Rugby Club

Ongoing updates as neighbouring landowner

Norwich School

Ongoing updates as neighbouring landowner

Old Catton Parish Council

Several meetings to explore key issues and opportunities, including integration with neighboring areas.

Sport England

Sports and recreational provision within the scheme; possible sports club relocation

Sprowston Town Council

Several meetings to explore key issues and opportunities, including integration with neighboring areas and neighbourhood planning.

Utilities providers

Discussions with potential energy and smart metering/smart grid providers

Wildlife Trust

Pre-application discussions on green infrastructure and ecology

Wroxham FC

Discussions over possible relocation

Natural England were also invited to meetings during the period to discuss issues relating to green infrastructure and Appropriate Assessment, but due to a changeover of staff at Natural England, no response was recieved until late July 2012 and it was agreed that further discussions would take place after submission of the Outline Planning Application.

APPENDIX 9: GREATER NORWICH DESIGN REVIEW PANEL COMMENTS MARCH 2012 A.9 Greater Norwich Design Review Panel Thursday 8 March 2012

is the most effective means of reducing the total carbon footprint for the development.

Beyond Green Developments: Development on land adjoining the built up northern fringe of Sprowston and Old Catton

The use of external consultants to develop an overall energy strategy for the scheme as a whole was recognised as being preferable to an isolated strategy for each phase of delivery.

The site falls within Broadland District adjacent to the built-up northern edge of Norwich. Following their previous presentation to the Panel in October the promoters explained how they have taken into account comments made. The latest proposal sees a reduction in the scheme from 250ha to 215ha and from 5000 homes down to 3520. They are intending to submit the outline planning application in late spring/early summer of 2012. Main Square The Panel noted the reduction in the dimensions of the main square in a move towards creating the intimacy requested by the Panel at the October review. More thought has been given to the type of activity or business that might use the space in the square and this was welcomed. Changes to the access in and around the square were seen as an improvement. The Panel commended the intention to create safe links to the school in the north-east corner of the square but questioned the potential success of this integration due to Local Authority standards around the enclosure of school grounds for safety. It was noted that a central square can really shape a place and community and the benefit of using a recognised architect with a record of success in this area was reinforced. Energy Strategy The Panel discussed the work being done around energy provision and strategies for reducing the total carbon footprint of the development. The promoters were encouraged to stretch their aspirations for the energy performance of individual homes as some members of the Panel felt that more could be achieved in this area, particularly with regard to the Code for Sustainable Homes. The Panel felt that the intention to build to a minimum of Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4+ was not sufficient and that for a development with such potential the aspirations should be much higher. The effect of this development could be huge on both a social and economic scale and the opportunity to deliver something truly exceptional should not be missed. However, it was noted that Beyond Green do not believe that a focus on meeting the requirements of higher levels of the Code for Sustainable Homes

Landscape and Green Infrastructure It was noted that the land under the airport safety zone was now to remain as farming land and reassurance was sought that the provision of GI throughout the scheme, such as green links between built up areas, would not suffer as a result. The Panel felt that the intention to offer access to play space within 200m of any point on the site was a good one. The Panel welcomed the promoterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to early delivery, especially regarding access to Beeston Park, and were reassured that appropriate stipulations would be made within the application to ensure this aspiration was not lost through a phased delivery approach. Phasing The Panel had previously requested further thought on the phasing of delivery and noted the further detail that was given on this point although it remains to be seen how this will work in practice. Along with the commitment to open up access to the parkland in the early phase, the intention to begin the Wroxham Road square and the Main Square in the initial phase was commended. In addition early delivery of the primary school was welcomed. Building and Design The Panel was disappointed that more detail around the design codes for the scheme was not yet available. It was recognised that the scheme was still at an outline stage but concern was expressed over the danger of a lack of coherence through the phases of delivery and across the various parcels of land as they become developed. It is understood that a design code will be developed before any detailed applications are submitted. The Panel agreed that the design codes must clearly define the expectations for development and would welcome active engagement in the development of the codes in due course. Other points: The Panel would like more thought on car parking to ensure that the place is accessible for visitors as well as residents. Integration of the new development to the existing urban area is crucial and should not be forgotten

A.9 APPENDIX 9: GREATER NORWICH DESIGN REVIEW PANEL COMMENTS MARCH 2012 Overall the Panel commend Beyond Green for taking on board comments made previously and feel that they have gone someway to demonstrating how the aspirational vision previously presented will be delivered. The strong focus on sustainability is welcomed and the Panel would encourage Beyond Green to continue to be ambitious with their aspirations. The Panel look forward to continued involvement and hope to be able to provide a more detailed input at later stages.

TEAM LIST

Beyond Green’s NS&OC project team:

EIA technical team:

Paul Murrain – Urban design

White Young Green – Geotechnical, geoenvironmental and topographical studies

iCube – Urban design

Jonathan Cocking Associates – Arboriculture

Gehl Architects (Copenhagen) – Public realm strategy

Land Research Associates – Agriculture

Bidwells (Norwich) – Planning support

NAU Archaeology – Archaeology and heritage

SKM Colin Buchanan – Transport

Entran – Air Quality

Peter Brett Associates – Resource efficiency and sustainable drainage

Sharps Redmore – Noise

Greengage – Environmental Impact Assessment co-ordination

Stephen Daw – Minerals

The Ecology Consultancy (Norwich) – Ecology

Bidwells –Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment

Lawrence Graham – Legal Willmott Dixon – Construction cost advisors

Beyond Green Developments 1 Albemarle Way London EC1V 4JB

www.beyondgreen.co.uk

+44 (0)20 7549 2184 broadland@beyondgreen.co.uk

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