Final part of borough masterplan approved

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has now formally adopted the final part of its over-arching planning strategy for the borough, with the adoption of what is known as Local Plan Part 2.

The 200-page document fleshes out the council's detailed vision for the district, which covers some 174 square kilometres from Winterton in the north to Hopton in the south.

Alongside the Council's 2015 Core Strategy, it guides developers and planners in deciding where new homes should be built, sets out policies to support regeneration and new businesses, and how the environment will be protected, up to 2030.

Key measures in the plan include:

• a new target of 5,297 new homes by 2030, in line with national guidance for calculating housing needs
• stronger support for shopping in the borough's town and village centres with a tougher test for out-of-centre sites
• new policies on managing the natural and historic environment
• a focus upon achieving high-quality design

Work on the plan started in 2018 and it has been through several consultations and reviews, with the final version formally adopted by a full council meeting in December 2021. The plan has also been independently examined by a planning inspector on behalf of the government, to ensure it matches up with national requirements.

Strategic planning manager Sam Hubbard said: "The Local Plan Part 2 builds on the Council's Core Strategy and brings our planning policies up to date. It is particularly important for housing, as it sets out the needs of the borough and the most appropriate sites for development, reducing the risk of development in the wrong places for our local communities."

Council leader Carl Smith said: "This is a very important step in setting out how we can achieve our vision for the borough for the years ahead and it will help the council promote development in the right places, while protecting the environment and our communities against inappropriate new building."