​Hethersett Report Back: 23 March 2010
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​Hethersett Report Back: 23 March 2010

Over 350 people participated in the Vision for Hethersett Community Planning Weekend on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 March 2010 to discuss the proposed extension of the village.

Local people took part in two days of discussions, workshops and hands-on planning groups to explore local and site-specific issues and possible solutions and principles for growth.

Following the two public days the team from John Thompson & Partners (JTP) analysed the outcomes and developed an illustrated Vision for the future, which was reported back to the community at 7pm on Tuesday 23 March at Hethersett High School.

Background
The Greater Norwich Development Partnership (GNDP) have prepared a draft Joint Core Strategy (JCS) indicating that Hethersett could accommodate 1000 homes.

The JCS will soon be agreed by the Councils and sent to the Government for testing. It will then be examined by an independent Inspector later in 2010. Assuming the JCS passes its examination, the Councils will then identify the specific areas of land for development, including at Hethersett. Hethersett Land Ltd, part of the Ptarmigan Land Group, is working with landowners to explore how the housing strategy, suggested by the Council, can be best delivered in the future.

John Thompson and Partners (JTP) have been appointed to engage residents and stakeholders in the assessment of the issues and opportunities for Hethersett and to develop a Vision for the future. A Community Planning Weekend was held in March to ensure that everyone with an interest in the future of Hethersett had a chance to participate.

Participation
Many people who attended the Weekend were opposed to the GNDP decision to allocate strategic housing growth to Hethersett. However, a significant number accepted that significant new housing was inevitable and that it was therefore important to participate in the development of the proposals to ensure that what comes is appropriately designed to the highest quality and will bring significant benefits to Hethersett.

Next steps
If the JCS is found to be sound by the Inspector at the Examination in Public in the summer, it is likely to be adopted in late 2010 or early 2011. South Norfolk Council will then start to prepare a Site Allocations Development Plan document to identify the specific locations for housing within each identified growth settlement during 2011.

Ptarmigan Land is working towards submission of an outline planning application for land at Hethersett during 2011. If planning permission is granted, development of the site would be likely to commence in 2013.