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North Walsham West Sustainable Urban Extension
North Norfolk District Council is working with local landowners, service providers and community organisations to bring forward a considerable new development to the west of North Walsham.
Where is it?
The 108-hectare site incorporates the area around Bradfield Road, Greens Road, Aylsham Road, Tungate Road and Skeyton Road. It stretches from the railway line to the north west of the town, across arable land to the west of the town, to Norwich Road in the south.
What is being planned?
When fully developed, North Walsham West is expected to provide approximately 1800 new homes, a primary school, significant areas of public open space, and around 7 hectares of employment land. A key element of the project is the early delivery of a link road to distribute traffic between Norwich Road and Cromer Road. A Development Brief will set out the specification as to what development will take place and how the site will be delivered.
North Walsham West is being brought forward by North Norfolk District Council and a local developer consortium of Flagship Group, Lovell Partnerships, and Esco Developments. Bidwells is acting as lead agent.
Why is it needed?
The development of the site is a key element of the future growth planned for the district through the emerging Local Plan. Development is needed to meet the projected growth in population and the demand for a range of housing types. North Walsham is considered to be one of the most suitable locations for large-scale growth due to its broad range of services, facilities, and transport connections. Additionally, North Walsham does not have the significant environmental and landscape constraints that are found elsewhere in the district.
The development provides an opportunity:
- to ease some of the long-term transport issues in the town through the delivery of a link road,
- provide significant areas of employment land and public open space,
- improve footpath connections, and other environmental enhancements.
Development Brief
Public consultation on a draft Development Brief took place in September 2023. The feedback received will inform the development of the final document.
The Local Plan, currently at an advanced stage of preparation, provides the policy requirements that will need to be complied with for development consent to be granted on this site. One such requirement is for a Development Brief to be prepared to set out the guiding principles against which future planning applications on the site will be considered. The document will:
- provide a vision for the site
- detail how the site will be laid out and delivered
- provide certainty over the road, school and environmental infrastructure that the Council expects to be delivered
- promote high standards of layout and sustainable design
- detail the requirements and level of affordable housing, and housing and care provision for older people
- support a comprehensive and organised delivery of the site
A separate Health Impact Assessment will consider the healthcare impacts arising from the proposed development.
The brief will ensure that the site is developed in a coordinated way to provide a high-quality development that meets the community's needs.
How do I get involved?
Future opportunities to get involved will be detailed here when available.
Previous consultation
Draft Development Brief Consultation
Public consultation on the draft Development Brief ran from Tuesday 4 September 2023 to Sunday 1 October 2023. The Development Brief was prepared following an initial consultation between 24 May and 24 June 2021, which presented the draft aims and key requirements for public comment.
Two drop-in events were held as part of the latest round of public consultation:
- North Walsham Community Centre on Wednesday 13 September 2023 from 3.30pm to 7.30pm.
- North Walsham Town Football Club on Tuesday 19 September 2023 from 3.30pm to 7.30pm.
A virtual exhibition remains available for those wishing to view the exhibition.
Coltishall and Horstead Consultation Event
A consultation event aimed at residents of Coltishall and Horstead took place at Coltishall Village Hall on Wednesday 6 December 2023, between 3.30pm and 7.30pm. The purpose of the event was to present details of off-site highway mitigation proposals and to enable discussion with staff on this and other aspects of the proposed development. Over 100 participants attended the event.
A virtual exhibition remains available to those wishing to view the exhibition.
What happens next?
The feedback from the consultation will be carefully considered and used to prepare a final Development Brief for endorsement by the Council. Further information will be published when it is available.
Supporting evidence
Draft Transport Assessment
This assessment was prepared to support the submission and examination of the emerging North Norfolk Local Plan. It assesses the potential impacts of the Local Plan proposal for North Walsham West on the transport network and identifies how those impacts could be addressed.
Transport Assessments are usually prepared to support planning applications. However, given the strategic nature, scale, and potential on and off-site highway impacts of the North Walsham proposal, it was recognised that an early understanding of the likely options was necessary. The scope and findings of the assessment were developed through regular discussions with Norfolk County Council, the local authority for highways. Although the proposed allocation is in North Walsham, it was made clear during scoping discussions that the impact of the allocation would also need to be assessed within Coltishall and Horstead, which sits within the Broadland District Council area.
This assessment establishes the existing transport situation for all types of traffic. It also models the transport impact of the allocation as of 2036, when the majority of development is expected to have been completed. It identifies where improvement will be required, including road and junction improvements, pedestrian and cycle facilities, and public transport, all within the development itself, elsewhere in the town, and at Coltishall and Horstead.
Related documents
- North Walsham West Draft Development Brief
- North Walsham Western Urban Extension Draft Transport Assessment (Main Report)
- North Walsham Western Urban Extension Draft Transport Assessment (Appendices)
Western Link Road (WLR) Feasibility Study
A high-level traffic assessment has been prepared to inform the proposed new growth in the emerging Local Plan in North Walsham. This study focuses on the feasibility of delivering a Western Link Road (WLR) around the town, linking Norwich Road, Cromer Road and the industrial estate.
The report concludes that there will be a significant amount of new traffic associated with the sites proposed for allocation in the emerging Local Plan. However, the WLR is expected to alleviate the majority of the traffic impacts that the growth could cause. Additionally, the WLR is expected to solve some of the existing routing issues for HGVs caused by the low bridges in the town. This high-level study suggests that the WLR should provide a northern link along Link Road and Bradfield Road to connect with the industrial estate to deliver the maximum transport benefits for the town.