Policy CC4: Land at Rose Lane/Mountergate

2.116

Rose Lane/Mountergate is proposed to be reallocated in two parts on modified boundaries, as follows: 

2.117

Sites CC4a and CC4b were identified in the previous Local Plan as a single allocation CC4. Within the area of the original allocation there has been limited redevelopment and change of use of premises and sites closest to Rose Lane. Completed developments include the refurbishment of the Union Building for managed workspace, conversion of Imperial House to flats, construction of the replacement Rose Lane Car Park and establishment of the Charles Darwin Primary Academy within former office buildings fronting Prince of Wales Road. Due to the recent completion of these developments, these premises are proposed to be excluded from the revised allocation. Emerging proposals providing for the potential redevelopment and replacement of the dated Hotel Nelson (Premier Inn) including complementary mixed-use development, strongly favour integration of that site within the allocation to exploit the potential of its river frontage.

2.118

Evidence from the GVA Employment and Town Centres study 2018 points to significant demand for high quality employment space for developing businesses in the digital creative sector and other sectors supporting the city centre economy, preferably requiring a location close to sustainable transport hubs. Accordingly, scope for a significant element of employment use is identified in site CC4a west of Mountergate to take advantage of its location close to Norwich Rail Station. Land east of Mountergate (CC4b) is promoted for a broader mix of uses with a significant element of residential use, effective integration of the Hotel Nelson site and possible reuse or redevelopment of offices at Baltic House.  The general principle of development on the site has already been accepted, and it is expected that development will take place within the new local plan time-period up to 2038.

2.119

As an existing allocation, 250 homes have been considered in the calculation of the housing requirement.

2.120

There appears to be a private surface water sewer in the centre of the CC4a site. The site is surrounded by a mixture of combined sewer systems and standalone surface water sewer systems. Permission from the owner of the facilities must be gained before use in a proposed drainage strategy.

2.121

Sites CC4a and 4b are likely to accommodate at least 250 homes with around 50 being accommodated on site CC4a and 200 on site CC4b. More may be accommodated, subject to an acceptable design and layout being achieved. Development of site CC4a should explore continued us/re-provision of the existing community garden facility. Development of site CC4b must be of a scale and form which respects and takes advantage of its riverside context and location in respect to the Broads National Park.

Policy CC4a

Land at Rose Lane/Mountergate (Mountergate West, approx. 1.20 ha) is allocated for mixed-use development to include high quality office space, managed workspace and live-work units, and up to 50 homes. 

The development will achieve the following site-specific requirements:

  1. Be mainly employment-led, integrated with residential uses
  2. Include other uses such as food/drink, and small-scale retail uses.
  3. Achievement of a high quality, locally distinctive design of a scale and form which respects its location within the City Centre Conservation Area, conserves and enhances adjoining heritage assets and their settings and contributes to an overall enhancement of townscape quality.
  4. Development should respect the setting of adjacent listed buildings and be designed as far as possible to reflect the historic building plots and streets and to recreate street frontages,
  5. Provides an enhanced public realm, including open space and pedestrian/cycle links through the adjoining site CC4b to the riverside walk in accordance with policy 7.1 and the ‘River Wensum Strategy’. Consideration should be given to retaining and enhancing the existing community open space to the rear of Boulton Street as part of integrated open space and green infrastructure network within the site
  6. A noise assessment is required, and the development must be designed to mitigate the impact of noise from the main road and from the late night activity zone.
  7. Ensures a high level of surface water flood resilience and incorporates appropriate flood mitigation measures addressing identified risks from surface water flooding and existing private surface water sewer in the centre of the site, all of which must be taken into consideration when designing a drainage strategy for the site;
  8. Norfolk Minerals and Waste Core Strategy Policy CS16 applies, as this site is underlain by safeguarded minerals resources.  The benefits of extracting the minerals, if feasible, will be taken into consideration.

Policy Map

Policy Map CC4A

 

Policy CC4b

Land Mountergate/Prince of Wales Road (Mountergate East, approx. 2.39 ha) is allocated for mixed-use development. This may accommodate a minimum of 200 homes, together with student accommodation, high quality office space, hotel and tourism uses, and other supporting main town centre uses taking advantage of the site’s proximity to the rail station and river.

The development will achieve the following site-specific requirements:

  1. Development to be approached comprehensively to achieve effective integration of the historic buildings in the western part of the site into the overall development;
  2. Other uses may be provided as part of a balanced mix including hotel development (replacing or supplementing the existing hotel provision on site), student accommodation, educational facilities to support the adjacent Charles Darwin Primary Academy, high quality office space, managed workspace and live-work units, food/drink, small scale retail and uses supporting the evening economy.
  3. Achievement of a high quality, locally distinctive design of a scale and form which respects its location within the City Centre Conservation Area and adjacent to the St Matthews Conservation Area, conserves and enhances adjoining heritage assets and their settings and contributes to an overall enhancement of townscape quality. The site’s position relative to Norwich Train Station warrants building of notable standard of design and quality worthy of marking arrival into the city.
  4. Development will respect and enhance the setting of on-site historic buildings including St Faiths House and the Weavers House and off-site buildings including the Train Station, Anglican Cathedral and Castle, and be designed as far as possible to reflect historic building plots and street lines and to recreate street frontages,
  5. Redevelopment, conversion or change of use of Baltic House for uses consistent with this policy will be supported if it becomes available in the plan period;
  6. A density of development commensurate with its location close to the train station mobility hub with a design that secures a significant overall reduction in the level of off-site surface car parking;
  7. Provides an enhanced public realm, including public open space and legible and permeable pedestrian/cycle routes to link through the adjoining site CC4a to Rose Lane and the new St Anne’s Quarter development to King Street. A link should be provided from Mountergate to the river connecting with Prince of Wales Road via an extended and widened riverside walk in accordance with policy 7.1 and the ‘River Wensum Strategy’, making the most of its riverside location;
  8. Retention and provision of public access and public open space to the rear of the Hotel Nelson;
  9. A noise assessment is required, and the development must be designed to mitigate the impact of noise from the main road and from the late-night activity zone.
  10. High quality green infrastructure, landscaping, planting and biodiversity enhancements particularly along the river edge taking advantage of its riverside context and location in respect to the Broads National Park;  
  11. Protection of bankside access for maintenance purposes.
  12. Development should ensure a high level of flood resilience and incorporate appropriate mitigation measures (including addressing identified risks from flooding from rivers and surface water flooding).

Policy Map

Policy Map CC4B