Description
The site is located to the east of the city centre adjacent to the Ketts Hill roundabout on the inner ring road. It is 0.6 hectares in size and is currently used for car sales.
Access to the site is from an entrance on the inner ring road (Bishop Bridge Road) just off the roundabout.
The site is mainly flat, with slopes to the north and east, including an established landscaped strip with trees on Ketts Hill. There is recent residential development above the site to its east and the Thorpe wooded ridge is to the south-east. The vacant former Box and Barrel works site, which has planning permission for housing development and is allocated in this plan as part of site R14, is to the south of the site. The Bishop Bridge Road local centre is to the west of the site, on the opposite side of the inner ring road.
The site is in an area characterised by a mix of uses, including housing and local services. It is between the St Matthews Conservation Area and the Thorpe Hamlet Conservation Area and is close to the open spaces of the Thorpe wooded ridge at Kett’s Heights and Mousehold Heath. Traffic is busy on both the neighbouring inner ring road and Ketts Hill.
Explanatory text
The site is an accessible location for housing, opposite a local centre, close to the city centre and on a bus route.
Access issues are key to development of the site. The current access to the inner ring road is not capable of catering for the proposed housing development. Therefore, it is essential that vehicular access should be through the former Box & Barrel site to the south, part of site allocation R14 in this plan. Should it not be possible to gain access from site R14, car free housing would be acceptable on this site.
Design will have to take account of the site’s topography and must not have a negative impact on geodiversity or on views to and from the Thorpe ridge - Kett’s Heights is identified as an important long view in appendix 8 of the DM policies plan. Kett’s Heights is also part of a green infrastructure corridor under policy 1 of the JCS. Therefore the design of development should both retain existing trees on site, including those on the landscaped buffer to Kett’s Hill, and create additional habitat links to Kett’s Heights.
The development will also have to address specific on site constraints relating to its former uses and location. Ground conditions and contamination assessments will be necessary and design of the development must minimise the impact of noise from the inner ring road. An archaeological assessment will also be required.
As a minimum, protection and enhancement of geodiversity will include recording of geological features on site.
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 suitable and available for housing development.
POLICY R15: Land at Ketts Hill and Bishop Bridge Road – housing development
Land at Ketts Hill and Bishop Bridge Road (0.6 hectares) is allocated for housing development. In the region of 30 dwellings will be provided.
The development should take account of the following:
- Trees and landscaping on the northern boundary must be retained and enhanced;
- Design of the development must reflect its location adjacent to the Thorpe wooded ridge and protect and enhance biodiversity and geodiversity;
- Access will be via the adjacent site to the south (R14). Car-free development would be acceptable if the site were developed on its own.
