Policy DM26 Development at the University of East Anglia (UEA)
Development within the UEA campus, as defined on the Policies map, will be permitted providing it is for university related uses and is in accordance with the agreed masterplanning documents currently in place for the University, and with any subsequent detailed guidance endorsed by the council for individual parts of the site. Development must, where relevant:
a) conserve the landscape and architectural significance of the UEA, retaining a green edge; safeguard and (where appropriate and practicable) enhance the biodiversity and geodiversity interest of the campus and protect significant vistas;
b) implement the UEA Travel Plan, promoting public transport use, walking and cycling, both within and to and from the university, encouraging shared car use and minimising single-occupancy car trips to reduce the overall need to travel by car; and
c) promote public access to open spaces.
Supplementary text
26.1 The University of East Anglia (UEA) is an important asset for the city and the county. It is a major employer and is internationally recognised for its excellence, particularly in the fields of environmental science and literature. Its importance to economic growth in greater Norwich is recognised by the JCS identifying it, together with the neighbouring Norwich Research Park and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in South Norfolk, as a strategic employment site, and its being identified as a major focus for employment growth in the city. The growth of this employment site is fundamental to the economic strategy for the area, promoting the linked development of knowledge based industries, particularly plant sciences, education and the hospital.
26.2 As a consequence of the need for growth at the UEA, and to ensure that the growth is sustainable and does not have a negative impact on neighbouring residential areas and the highly attractive landscape of the Yare Valley and neighbouring parks, Norwich City Council has worked closely with the UEA on the production of masterplanning documents.
26.3 Work on these documents has informed the development of this policy, which covers all development in the university campus, as defined on the Policies map. This policy aims to ensure that any development within the university campus retains and enhances the special character of the university and its historic development, whilst protecting the landscape character and wildlife/biodiversity interest of its river valley setting. The masterplan has also informed detailed site allocation policies in the Site allocations plan.
26.4 The masterplanning documents already endorsed by the council consist of the UEA strategic principles document (2010), the UEA development framework strategy (2010) and the Earlham Hall area vision and development document (2011) (see 26.10 below). Further documents for specific sites will be produced (see 26.8 below).
26.5 A portfolio of related documents has informed the production of the UEA masterplanning documents. These documents set out the history and local circumstances relevant to development at the university. They include the Conservation development strategy and the Landscape strategy, which give detail on clause (a) of the policy, concerning landscape, architecture and vistas. The masterplanning documents and the accompanying portfolio of documents will in most cases be material considerations in assessing planning applications within the university campus.
26.6 The masterplanning documents have identified that, in order to provide for the growth needs of the university, it is necessary both to have limited infill within the campus and to extend the boundaries of the campus.
26.7 The campus boundary extends to include:
- recently developed sports facilities and their car park;
- the former Blackdale School site; and
- a long-term strategic reserve site allocation. This strategic reserve site is between Bluebell Road and Suffolk Walk and is likely to be required for further student accommodation towards the end of the plan period.
26.8 Development briefs are intended to be produced for the former school and the strategic reserve sites. Further detail on each of these sites is in the Site allocations plan.
26.9 This policy requires all development, other than development involving very minor works or localised changes of use, to implement travel planning measures to minimise vehicular traffic to the site set out in the most up-to-date version of the travel plan. In addition, where possible, it requires improved public access to open space. Development at the former Blackdale School site would enable public access to Blackdale Plantation, whilst development of the strategic reserve site would need to make provision for improved access to the Yare Valley.
Earlham Hall
26.10 Earlham Hall is a grade II* listed historic building which adjoins, but does not lie within the existing or proposed university campus. It has an established use as part of the University. A separate allocation for an enterprise and innovation centre on land to the east of Earlham Hall is also proposed through the Site allocations plan. This site includes Earlham Hall itself, but does not affect any areas of publicly accessible parkland around it. A Vision and development document (VADD) has been prepared by the university with the aim of informing the overall design of a development scheme, securing the repair, refurbishment and beneficial long-term use of Earlham Hall and promoting complementary new development around it to enhance the setting of the listed building and the surrounding public parkland.
References
- JCS policy 7: Supporting communities.
- JCS policy 9: Strategy for growth in the Norwich Policy Area.
- UEA strategic principles document, 2010.
- UEA development framework strategy, 2010.
- Earlham Hall vision and development document, 2011.
- UEA conservation development strategy, 2006.
- UEA landscape strategy, 2010.
