Description
This land off Wherry Road is a small undeveloped site on the east bank of the River Wensum and is 0.23 hectares in size. The site is currently vacant.
The site is within the edge-of-centre Riverside development - a mixed use regeneration scheme on 17 hectares of former industrial land completed between 1998 and 2003. The site immediately adjoins the Riverside Retail Park and is within the curtilage of the Riverside Swimming Centre.
The surrounding area is characterised by modern retail, commercial leisure and housing development and is still undergoing large scale regeneration, particularly the area around the football club to the south-east and the King Street frontage sites on the opposite bank of the river. Although much of Riverside is modern and somewhat car-dominated, the King Street riverbank is of more mixed historic character with refurbished industrial port buildings and other historic properties as well as further new build development.
The Wherry Road site is prominent and accessible, being situated next to the Novi Sad pedestrian bridge which links Riverside to King Street and the south-eastern quadrant of the city centre.
Explanatory text
The site has been vacant for some time and development will help to utilise the land and achieve wider regeneration benefits for this area. It is suitable for high density housing development and will help deliver the JCS’s housing target. The site is located in the city centre office area and leisure area, so office and/or leisure development may also be acceptable on the site.
Development of this site has to overcome a number of constraints. The site falls within flood zone 2 therefore a flood risk assessment will be undertaken for this site and appropriate mitigation measure should be provided as part of the development. Being adjacent to the River Wensum, development should be designed to enhance the river gateway towards the city centre. Development should take into account the adjacent core cycling and walking network.
This site is adjacent to the City Centre Conservation Area so its development will need to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area and be of appropriate scale, form and massing.
This is an edge of centre site in a highly accessible location, close to the railway station and in an area where the local highway network is already at or near capacity. A car-free development may be appropriate here, given its sustainable location.
This site lies adjacent to the River Wensum. A written consent from the Environment Agency is required for proposed works or structures, in, under, over or within 9 metres of the top of the bank of a designated ‘main river’. It is recommended that developers engage in early discussions with the Environment Agency.
Development needs to ensure that the water environment is protected throughout the development of the site. The site falls within Source Protection Zone 1, designated to protect water supplies, and therefore the water environment is particularly vulnerable in this location. Detailed discussions over this issue will be required with the Environment Agency to ensure that proposals are appropriate for the site and that the site is developed in a manner which protects the water environment.
Deliverability
The site is in a single ownership and has recently been granted planning permission for housing development. It is suitable and available for development in the plan period.
POLICY CC12: Site at Wherry Road – housing development
Land at Wherry Road is allocated for housing development, for a minimum of 65 dwellings.
Other uses may also be acceptable including office, leisure uses or hotel development.
Design of the development should enhance the river gateway to the city centre.
