Description
The site is approximately 0.2 hectares in size and is located between King Street and the River Wensum. The allocation site is currently occupied by a warehouse building with a courtyard, which includes a locally listed building fronting the river.
The King Street area is mixed in character, with some very important old domestic buildings interspersed with more recent industrial buildings. There are many listed and locally listed buildings along the length of the street. King Street is an area of great change, with many buildings formerly associated with industry or the river being replaced or converted, many of these for residential use.
Explanatory text
The JCS promotes the city centre as the main focus in the sub-region for retail, leisure and office development, with housing and educational development also adding to the vibrancy of the centre. The key diagram for the city centre identifies the site as being within an ‘area of change’ where the focus of change is through mixed use development including commercial and residential development.
King Street has been promoted as a regeneration priority by the council for a number of years, and continues to undergo significant change as many older industrial buildings are replaced or converted, many into residential use. The ongoing regeneration and enhancement of the area, including reinstatement of many building lines and reuse of traditional buildings, will create a more cohesive townscape and a strategically important area linking Riverside with the city centre.
Redevelopment of the site must address a number of constraints including its location within the City Centre Conservation Area and the Area of Main Archaeological Interest. Its redevelopment provides an opportunity to sensitively regenerate this part of King Street, by contributing positively to the character of the street. In accordance with the conservation area appraisal, the scale of development should reflect the existing traditional buildings, and public realm works should help create a high quality and unified streetscape. Any demolition would require planning permission.
Development proposals should be informed by a heritage assessment of the locally listed building to assess its significance. It should be retained as part of the development scheme if appropriate.
Development must provide access to the river and a riverside walk. If the locally listed building is retained as part of the development, consideration should be given to innovative methods of delivering this section of riverside walk. This could include a structure over the river (which would require consent from the Broads Authority) or possibly provision of a route through the building adjacent to the river frontage.
A flood risk assessment and appropriate flood risk mitigation measures are required. Given its proximity to the King Street frontage the site will require an archaeological evaluation through trial trenching prior to its development.
The site is suitable for high density development given its location; a minimum of 20 dwellings is expected.
The 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. 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
This site is in a single ownership, and is suitable and available for development within the plan period. It is being actively promoted by the landowner.
​POLICY CC8: King Street Stores – Housing development
The King Street Stores site is allocated for housing development, to include a minimum of 20 housing units.
Development proposals will contribute to the regeneration of the King Street area by reinstating the historic street frontage of King Street, providing access to the river and a riverside walk, and should be designed to respect the setting of adjacent listed and locally listed buildings.
