This involves a new building for the estate residents to receive meals, attend social events and meetings and comprises seating space, a servery area and a kitchen. It will also contain an office suite for day-to-day management operations.

The site for the clubhouse building is set between an existing group of 15 care dwellings to the west and a potential future second phase of a further 22 care dwellings to the east.

See our earlier story:
Altered plans for care village submitted to district council

See the earlier EDP story HERE.

The post Plans approved for clubhouse at care village appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

Image: Indigo Landscape Architects

After the nearly two-hour meeting, committee members voted by four votes to three to grant a temporary 40-year permission for the scheme, off Nowhere Lane.

The council’s planning officers had recommended approval of the project, despite objections from individuals and organisations concerned about issues such as the scale of the development, increased traffic, the loss of agricultural land and safety concerns over lithium-ion batteries.

Reepham Town Council had objected to the plans, while Greg Peck, county councillor for Reepham, spoke against them, arguing that the project would destroy productive farmland as well as some scenic countryside and wildlife habitat.

Chris Banks, renewables development manager at Albanwise Synergy, said the scheme would contribute to the shift to greener energy, generating enough electricity to serve more than 14,000 homes a year and would offset nearly 6,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

To move the project forward, the developers will now have to obtain planning permission for an underground cable route to connect the solar farm to the Salle electricity substation near Cawston. This connection has been agreed with UK Power Networks, although the cable route has yet to be decided.

Following Broadland’s decision, Mr Banks said Albanwise Synergy is now working on possible cable routes, either to the north or south of Reepham, with a planning application aiming to be submitted by the end of this year.

It is anticipated that initial construction works for the solar farm could begin from late 2026 into 2027. Access to the site for construction traffic would be via the B1145 Dereham Road.

Read the EDP story HERE.

See our earlier stories:

• Pettywell solar farm set for approval despite objections
• Town council objects to solar farm project
• Public consultation now open on solar farm planning application
• Plans revealed for proposed Pettywell solar farm

The post Solar farm at Pettywell gets approval in close vote appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

Renewable energy firm Albanwise Synergy said the development, which has a lifespan of 40 years, would generate enough power for more than 14,000 homes.

Around 80 people have objected to the plans, as well as Reepham Town Council and local MP Jerome Mayhew.

Broadland District Council’s planning committee has been advised to approve the solar farm, subject to conditions; download the planning officer’s report HERE.

The planning application will be considered at Broadland’s Planning Committee on Wednesday 23 April, starting at 9.30 am. The meeting will be held in the Council Chamber for those wishing to speak and will also be livestreamed HERE.

See our earlier stories:

• Town council objects to solar farm project
• Public consultation now open on solar farm planning application
• Plans revealed for proposed Pettywell solar farm

The post Pettywell solar farm set for approval despite objections appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

Reepham Town Council has raised objections to the Pettywell Solar Farm planning application following its meeting on Wednesday 15 January, with the four councillors present voting unanimously against the plans.

The meeting was attended by almost 40 members of the public, as well as representatives from the developer, Albanwise Synergy.

The solar farm, which is planned for land east of Nowhere Lane, is a renewable energy-generating project including photovoltaic panels, supporting infrastructure including inverters, transformers, a substation, a battery energy storage system, fencing, CCTV cameras, access tracks, and biodiversity and landscape mitigation.

The project, which also borders Marriott’s Way and the B1145, has a 40-year lifespan, according to Albanwise.

In its submission to Broadland District Council, the town council said the proposed solar farm represents a “significant intrusion on valuable agricultural land, threatens local wildlife and would negatively affect tourism and the local economy.

“The cumulative impact of this development, combined with other major projects, risks overburdening the town and its infrastructure.

“Additionally, the lack of a legally binding decommissioning plan and the uncertain future of the land after the solar farm’s lifespan poses a further risk to the long-term integrity of the site.”

Objections to the plans have also been lodged by local MP Jerome Mayhew, County Councillor Greg Peck, CPRE Norfolk and more than 60 residents. However, no objections have been raised by such bodies as Natural England, the Environment Agency and Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service.

The issue appears to boil down to balancing the need for energy security and decarbonising the country’s electricity network with food security in the face of climate change and uncertain global supply chains.

Many residents and businesses point out that Reepham and nearby villages are already enduring ongoing roadworks, HGV movements and road closures associated with the cable routes passing through the district from two major offshore wind farm projects off the north Norfolk coast.

Residents, led by Hugh Ivins, who lives in Whitwell, next to the proposed solar farm site, noted that, according to government statements, “applicants should, where possible, utilise suitable previously developed land, brownfield land, contaminated land and industrial land, avoiding the use of best and most versatile agricultural land where possible”.

He added that an online petition has so far received more than 100 signatures objecting to the proposal. “The solar farm is simply in the wrong place,” Mr Ivins concluded.

However, Albanwise Synergy renewables development manager Chris Banks points out that the project area is primarily a combination of grades 3a and 3b agricultural land, with some grade 2 – land that is currently used for producing common commodity crops, of which the UK is an exporter, and non-specialist crops that can be grown in many areas across the country.

At the town council meeting, Albanwise said that, as a response to feedback from a consultation, it has reduced the total land area of the project by around 25%, repositioned the battery energy storage compound and made improvements to the proposed landscaping around the edges of the site.

The Hertfordshire-based renewables business also revealed that it is considering proposals to establish a community benefit fund worth £2,000 per megawatt (MW).

As the proposed solar farm has a total rating of 40 MW, which could provide enough electricity a year to power more than 14,000 dwellings, this would also offer around £80,000 for local community use.

The planning application (reference 2024/3676) has a potential determination date of 31 March. A spokesperson from Broadland’s planning department said comments can still be made, via the link HERE, up until 30 March.

See our earlier stories:

• Public consultation now open on solar farm planning application
• Plans revealed for proposed Pettywell solar farm

The post Town council objects to solar farm project appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

The planning application (reference 2024/3676) and the related documents can be viewed HERE. Any comments can be submitted directly via this link; the consultation period closes on Sunday 12 January.

Further, members of the Albanwise project team will be available to answer any questions on the proposal at Whitwell Station, Whitwell Road, Reepham, on Monday 6 January from 2.30–7.30 pm.

For further information, see the project’s website or email.

The planning application will also be discussed at the next Reepham Town Council meeting on Wednesday 15 January at 7.30 pm at Stimpson’s Piece Pavilion, Bartle Court, Reepham.

See our earlier story:

• Plans revealed for proposed Pettywell solar farm

The post Public consultation now open on solar farm planning application appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

This follows the company’s move to offices in St Andrews Business Park, Norwich, earlier this year after its acquisition in 2022 by the Devon-headquartered holiday lettings firm Travel Chapter.

It is proposed that Bank House be converted from offices to three dwellings, with the exception of the ground floor, which is to be retained as Class E – commercial, business and service.

Meanwhile, Carlton House and Melton House are also proposed to be converted from offices to three dwellings, as well as the conversion and extension of a detached storage building to another dwelling.

All three buildings have been up for sale since 2023.

Reepham Town Council has expressed concerns at the lack of parking for the seven additional residential dwellings proposed.

See our earlier stories:

• Holiday cottage company to move out of Reepham?
• Reepham-based holiday cottage business sold

The post Former cottage company offices to be converted to residential dwellings appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

In place of the originally proposed 20 assisted-living flats and a 60-bed care home, the developers now want to build 22 assisted-living bungalows on a 1.04-hectare site, in addition to the 15 two-bedroom bungalows that have already been built adjacent to the west of the undeveloped site.

The revised plans include the erection of management offices and a clubhouse/café.

The original plans, which were presented to the community and granted planning approval in January 2019, were the subject of several design changes in 2022, including alteration to the height of the proposed care home building adjacent to Marriott’s Way.

These plans have now been revised, apparently owing to current market conditions.

Public comments on the revised plans have been mixed. A resident of the existing care village believes the proposed care-assisted bungalows will fit into the surroundings more sympathetically than an apartment block.

“It is a care village, not a care home, which enhances our sense of well-being,” they said, adding that the current residents need the main social centre/management offices built “without undue delay”.

Another comment on the planning application expressed disappointment with the revised plans as the original development of the site would have provided a type of retirement/care village that enabled a progression in care provision as residents care needs changed.

“The new proposal for more bungalows does not achieve anything more than accommodation for low-level care needs and residents will have to leave the site when their needs can no longer be met,” they said.

Reepham Town Council did not object to the latest planning application, but has expressed several concerns including over-development, with the proposed bungalows being “crammed-in” and very close to each other and in close proximity to physical borders and barriers.

In addition, car parking access to some of the bungalows has been provided directly from Stony Lane in order to increase the number of dwellings on the development site, while some plots have little or no garden space.

See our earlier stories:

• Concerns raised over design changes to care village
• Launch of first bungalows in care village
• Care village/Co-op plans approved

The post Altered plans for care village submitted to district council appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

The proposals suggest an increase in the number of new houses in Reepham from the current 155 to 203 residential dwellings by 2038.

While 15 two-bedroom bungalows have recently been built at the new Ash Tree Care Village development off Stony Lane, the current plan to build 141 new houses on land off Broomhill Lane has stalled owing to Natural England’s requirement to ensure “nutrient neutrality” for the River Wensum catchment area.

Speaking at November’s meeting of Reepham Town Council, forming planning officer and Whitwell resident Hugh Ivins pointed out that the current allocation for the Broomhill Lane site is for “approximately 100 homes”. “Approximately means plus or minus 2%,” he said.

“However, no planning permission for this site exists,” Mr Ivins asserted. “The application to build 141 homes by Lovell Homes is currently undetermined; it could be resubmitted or withdrawn at any time.”

Meanwhile, plans to build a news sports hall for the high school have been removed from the site to accommodate the additional 40 houses – despite “significant” local objections, said Mr Ivins, particularly concerning increased traffic, vehicle access and pedestrian safety.

The town council said it was under the impression that planning permission had been given to build the 141 homes, subject to resolving the nutrient neutrality issues, but would check to see if this has been legally granted.

District councillor Stuart Beadle said planning permission has been given for the sports hall, which is now proposed on existing high school land, but agreed that Broadland District Council should have updated the “approximately 100 new homes” wording in its local planning policy documents. The situation is “a complete mess”, he admitted.

The town council felt the GNLP contained several inconsistencies and did not match the Broadland District Council plan. It also expressed concern about the proposal to increase the number of new homes in Reepham by 25% in addition to the existing 141 houses planned, but without any allocation of land on which to build them.

The GNLP is being produced by Broadland District Council, Norwich City Council and South Norfolk Council.

The plan provides the basis for planning decisions for the foreseeable future, providing around 45,000 new homes to meet housing needs in both urban and rural areas between 2018 and 2038. Around 9,000 of those homes have already been built in the Greater Norwich area.

The next meeting of Reepham Town Council will take place on Wednesday 13 December at 7.30 pm at Stimpson’s Piece Pavilion, Bartle Court, Reepham.

See our earlier stories:

• Major housing development decision postponed
• More delays to Broomhill Lane housing development

The post Concerns over 25% increase in new housing appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

Ørsted’s Hornsea Three offshore wind farm is planning a series of works along the onshore cable route to help address any potential flood risk from the project.

The cables will pass through the Reepham district in a 55-kilometre-long trench from Weybourne on the north Norfolk coast to a new substation at Swardeston, south of Norwich.

The pre-construction drainage schemes are outlined in a series of planning applications submitted to Broadland District Council.

Areas where drainage pipes could be placed include land at or near:

• Blackwater Lane, Heydon
• Heydon Lane, Heydon
• Crabgate Lane, Wood Dalling
• Booton Manor, Church Road, Booton
• The Grove, Booton
• The Moor, Reepham
• Reepham Road, Salle

The Danish energy group said the installation of the pre-construction drainage is designed to bypass the existing drainage system to enable excavations while maintaining field drainage.

Although Ørsted has been granted permission for the offshore wind farm and cable route, the drainage plans are outside the limits of that consent and require new planning applications.

Reepham Town Council has objected to planning application 2023/1317 concerning the installation of pre-construction field drainage on land south and north of The Moor owing to its proximity to Booton Common. The council expressed concerns that the work could damage this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

The Hornsea Three project was granted planning consent by the Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 31 December 2020.

The wind farm will include around 230 offshore wind turbines and be capable of generating at least 2.85 GW of electricity, enough to meet the average daily needs of more than three million homes, making it is one of the world’s biggest offshore wind farm projects.

See our earlier story:

• Update on wind farm traffic management plans for Cawston

The post Drainage schemes for wind farm cable route to address flooding appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.

The development, which was given planning permission in January 2019, includes construction of a 60-bed care home and 20 assisted flats, as well as 15 two-bedroom bungalows that are nearing completion and the Central England Co-operative food store, which opened in November 2020.

At its meeting on 9 November, Reepham Town Council expressed concerns that changes to the internal layout might increase the roof height, which, owing to the proximity of Marriott’s Way, would be inappropriate.

The council also said that any development must comply with the original, approved drawings, including the reinstatement of the hedge that was removed from Stony Lane.

The council continues to have concerns regarding the visibility splay from Stony Lane to Station Road, as it is currently not adequate as drivers’ visibility of traffic travelling north from the direction of the town centre is obscured by a beech hedge.

See planning application 20221769 on the Broadland District Council Planning Explorer.

See our earlier story:

• Care village/Co-op plans approved

The post Concerns raised over design changes to care village appeared first on REEPHAM LIFE.