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Norwich International Airport is located on the northern edge of the city of Norwich and accessed from the A140 Norwich to Cromer Road. The passenger terminal and majority of associated commercial uses are sited towards the southern end of the airport. Site 4, is located at the northern end of the Airport land, immediately to the south of the A1270 Broadland Northway.
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There are residential and commercial/industrial uses on the land to the south-west, south and south-east, whilst the majority of the land to the north, beyond the NDR, is rural and agricultural, except for the villages of Horsham St. Faith and Spixworth which are in reasonably close proximity. Directly adjacent to the site on the north-west boundary is a series of linear buildings, structures and compounds that comprises a safety training facility (Petans) which is access from the north via Bullock Hill.
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With regards to topography, the site rises gently to the north. It is largely featureless with the land largely consisting of a taxiway and grassland within the operational boundary of the Airport. The site is 42.46ha and of this total 28.38 hectares fall within Norwich’s administrative boundary and approximately 14.08 hectares is within Broadland District.
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This site provides a unique opportunity as it is the only site that can provide development for aviation related uses. As such it should be safeguarded for aviation related employment and educational uses. If the site were to be developed for non aviation related uses, this could mean that any potential to attract additional large aviation-related business, would be lost to the local area as there would be nowhere to suitably located it.
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Only where evidence can demonstrate that there is insufficient demand for aviation related uses in the long term and where non-aviation development would act as a catalyst to deliver essential infrastructure to enable aviation related elements of the development should non-aviation related uses be permitted. Given the evidence set out within the Review of Office Accommodation in Norwich (Ramidus, 2020), it is not considered appropriate to allow non-aviation related office uses due to the potential harm that this could have upon Norwich’s city centre and similarly it is not considered that retail and leisure uses would be appropriate in this out of centre location.
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Access to the site should be gained from the A1270 and a surface access strategy will be required in order to promote sustainable travel to the site.
Strategic Allocation: Policy GNLP1061R
Land known as ‘Site 4’, Norwich Airport (approximately 42.46ha) is allocated for aviation related employment and aviation educational uses. This shall include aviation uses falling within the following use classes: E(g)(ii) (the research and development of products and processes), E(g)(iii) (any industrial process), B2 (industrial), B8 (storage and distribution and F1(a) (for the provision of education)
The development will achieve the following site-specific requirements:
- Provide development of aviation related uses. Non-aviation development will only be permitted where it is demonstrated that there is insufficient demand over the next 40 years for aviation related uses on the site and where such non-aviation development would act and be secured as a catalyst to deliver essential infrastructure facilitating the aviation related elements of the development. In any case non-aviation development would be limited to no more than 50% of the floorspace on the development. Should non-aviation uses be considered acceptable development is anticipated to include E(g)(ii) (the research and development of products and processes), E(g)(iii) (any industrial process), B2 (industrial) and B8 (storage and distribution). Non aviation related office uses (Class E(g)(i), retail and leisure uses will not be accepted.
- Adoption of a surface access strategy for the wider airport operational area, which promotes sustainable transport to the site, shall occur prior to any development.
- Provide vehicular access from Broadland Northway (A1270)
- Demonstrate that appropriate account has been taken of the potential impacts of noise from existing and proposed airport operations and noise generation from the development itself.
- Be subject to landscape visual impact assessment and appropriate landscape mitigation to the northwest, north and northeast boundaries. SUDs will need to be provided as part of the development.
- Changes of use should normally be restricted by conditions on any future planning applications to prevent units being utilised more broadly, and for non-aviation related uses.
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Notes GNLP1061:
For the purpose of this policy aviation related uses are defined as:
- a) Aircraft Maintenance, Supply and Manufacture, including modification, refurbishment and painting;
- b) Airport and airline administration and ancillary facilities;
- c) Aircraft fit out;
- d) Aircraft spray painting and finishing;
- e) Airport operations and infrastructure;
- f) Aircraft recycling;
- g) Hangarage;
- h) Component (aviation) storage;
- i) Freight (aviation) storage and handling;
- j) Aviation and vehicle fuel storage facilities;
- k) Training Centres including:
- Airline, crew, air traffic, ground crew, fire crew and pilot training centres or training schools;
- Airport training services;
- Aircraft engineering and technician training; and
- Any other training in support of airport related development;
- l) Avionics, engine or aircraft parts, maintenance, supply, testing and manufacture;
- m) Airport equipment and operational infrastructure maintenance supply and manufacture;
- n) Associated internal highways and infrastructure including roads, carriageways, footpaths, bus terminals, lighting and car parking required in connection with the movement or maintenance of aircraft or the transport of livestock or goods by air;
- o) Warehousing, cold stores and offices for airfreight handlers, forwarders and agents including parcels or Post Office services;
- p) Flight packaging, provision services and supply units, including ramp services;
- q) Businesses that require a location at or adjacent to an airport for the following defined reasons:
- Due to requirement for immediate access to national or international connectivity for freight;
- Advanced manufacturing or engineering connected with the airport either through:
- A direct relationship within an airport occupier or aerospace company though the supply chain; or
- Engineering skills requirements.
Notwithstanding the above and for the avoidance of doubt the following uses are not permitted:
- a) Air passenger terminal building; and
- b) Air passenger parking
Policy Map
