PROPOSED AFFORDABLE HOUSING GRESSENHALL

PARISH COUNCIL STATEMENT – MAY 2023

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR GRESSENHALL
Gressenhall Parish Council (GPC) recognized a need for affordable houses to rent in Gressenhall
some years ago. In 2017 the Council consulted with Breckland District Council regarding potential
schemes and three Housing Associations were invited to make representations.
GPC chose to work with Hastoe Housing Association.

They in turn commissioned local architects to assess potential sites in the Parish. The initial
assessment was reduced to three preferred sites and of these three one landowner was willing to
offer land sufficient for ten affordable houses.

Alongside this Breckland Council commissioned a Housing Needs Survey which confirmed the need
for more affordable housing in the Parish.

The scheme has progressed slowly and not helped by Covid but a public consultation took place on
the scheme in October 2022.

The consultation highlighted concerns regarding pedestrian access from the site into the village. This
issue has been resolved by the provision of a footpath in the adjacent field thus providing segregation
between cars and pedestrians.

This was followed by a planning application in April 2023 which is now being consulted on.
The shortage of houses for rental has got significantly worse over the last five years throughout the
United Kingdom and certainly in Norfolk. This makes an even stronger case for this scheme in which
houses will be available at less than open market rents.

The scheme is designed to enable local people to be able to live in the area and also those who
perhaps at present cannot afford to rent in the area but are working nearby.

The Parish Council is fully supportive of this plan and if planning consent is granted later this year
then there is the prospect of houses being available to rent as soon as 2025.

 

Proposed Plans

Dwg no 1239.01 Rev N Site layout, location plan and off site highway works

Drwg no 1239.05 revG Perspectives 2

Drwg 1239.04 rev G Perspectives 1

Drwg 1239.03 rev F Elevations floorplans Plots 5-7 & 8-10

Drwg 1239.02 rev F Elevations floorplans plots 1-2 &3-4