28 November 2018
Planning - Update

Having formally written to Breckland’s Planning Committee to put on record my concerns about the Glavenhill application for a minimum of 291 homes on land off Shipdham Road, Westfield Road and Westfield Lane, I was hugely disappointed to see the application was given permission.

As I have said time and again, new development must be sustainable in the long term – being accompanied by the necessary infrastructure required to support both new residents and those already living in the surrounding community.

Dereham already has significant traffic congestion, and I do not believe that this development will see sufficient mitigation implemented to tackle that. It will only add more cars to an already overcapacity transport network in the town.

It could also have a negative impact on the local environment (with the site being so close to the River Tud), as well as develop a hard-edge to that part of the town/contribute to urban sprawl.

Dereham needs a proper Town Plan, and a proper Transport Plan – and I am pleased that Dereham Town Council are working with partners to bring this forward. Having convened a Dereham Plan Partnership meeting last year, and liaised with Dereham Town Council in the period since, I am optimistic about the work being done – and I would encourage the community and Breckland to get behind it, and ensure Dereham has the Plan it needs for the next twenty years.

In the meantime, I will continue my campaign in Westminster to bring about reform to the planning system, and in particular the Five Year Housing Land Supply Rule.

On Monday, I am taking a small group of local councillors (both from district and parish level) to Westminster to meet with the Housing Minister, Kit Malthouse MP, to make the case for such reforms. We shall be doing this based on our own experiences of the planning system, and that of the countless other councillors and constituents who I have corresponded with, and received feedback from, over the past few years.

To stay updated on the outcome of that meeting, please do watch for further posts on my website.