Have your say on housing plan near erosion zone
The site in Walcott proposed for new homes. Picture: Maurice Gray - Credit: Archant
People have the chance to comment on plans to transform a strip of land which could be partially underwater within 85 years into a social housing estate.
Luke Warren of the London-based Warren Property Group applied to North Norfolk District Council to build 16 Passivhaus homes for social rent and two larger houses to be sold on the open market in Walcott.
The application went onto the council’s planning portal this week, meaning members of the public can view the full plans and leave comments.
The plot off Ostend Road is currently used for farming, and a coastal erosion map submitted with the plans show a corner of the site could have eroded away by the year 2105.
But Mr Warren said that last year’s £19m sandscaping project, which saw 1.8m cubic metres of sand pumped onto the beach at Bacton and Walcott in an effort to slow erosion in the area - combined with future coastal defence measures - meant the site was safer than the map made it seem.
A plan of the site in Walcott proposed for new homes. The pink area is an 'indicative coastal erosion zone for 2105, and the yellow area is the indicative coastal erosion zone for 2055. Picture: Supplied by Luke Warren - Credit: Archant
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He said: “The 100-year line is encroaching into it, but with the sandscaping in Bacton they’ve pushed back that 100-year line by another 25 years, and that’s not reflected in the current erosion lines.”
MORE: Housing plan for coastal site facing erosion threatThe Passivhaus design of the social homes feature external walls that would be 50cm thick, ground source heat pumps and modest-sized windows, all measures designed to keep the homes cool in summer and warm in winter, reducing energy bills.
It is understood profit from the sale of the two four-bedroom open-market homes is needed to make the construction of the social housing viable.
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The application says that while the development is bigger than what would normally be acceptable for a village, there was enough demand to make it worthwhile.
Mr Warren said he submitted the application after discussions with the council about possible sites for a social housing development.
He said another site to the west of Ostend Road/Ostend Gap was also considered, but it then decided to apply for the land on the east side of the road as it was between existing housing and would be less obtrusive.
