Plans for homes on former Colman's site in Norwich set to be rejected

A £460m project to build almost 2,000 new homes on a former factory site looks set to collapse after council officers recommended it for rejection.

Norwich city councillors are expected to reject plans for homes and business premises on 40 acres (16 hectares) at the former Colman's Mustard site.

Officers raised concerns about its environmental impact and a lack of communication over the plans.

Developer Fuel Properties said it had worked "tirelessly" with the city.

Just weeks ago, a similar proposed development at Anglia Square was scrapped by developers.

Councillors are due to meet on Thursday to decide on plans to build 1,859 new homes on the site, known Carrow Works, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The proposed development is part of the council's flagship East Norwich Masterplan, under which 3,000 homes and 4,000 jobs would be created at Carrow and neighbouring Trowse.

However, City Hall planning officers pointed to a lack of affordable homes and pressure on local services from the Carrow scheme, which they said the company had not addressed.

They said the delay in processing the application was due to difficulties in obtaining outstanding documentation from the developers.

In their report to councillors, they said: "The application has been considered in the extremely disappointing context that since its initial submission the applicant and their project team have not been in a position to discuss, negotiate or amend their proposals in any way."

Concerns were raised by transport, healthcare and education authorities, which said the development would place a significant strain on local services.

This included objections from Norfolk County Council and Historic England.

Other issues included a "total lack" of affordable housing within the plans and insufficient evidence regarding the environmental impact of the project.

A city council spokesman said it remained "firmly committed" to redeveloping Carrow Works as part of wider plans to regenerate the east Norwich area.

"It is regrettable that we consider it necessary to recommend refusing the application," said the spokesman.

"This is because the application is clearly contrary to the policies set out within the newly adopted Greater Norwich Local Plan.

"There has also been a lack of progress and proper engagement with the planning department since the application was initially submitted in 2022."

A spokesperson for the developer said: "Fuel Properties has worked diligently and tirelessly with the council, with the adaptation of our plans for the site being reflective of these conversations.

"We are aligned in our ambition for the provision of much-needed sustainable housing that has long-term benefits for the local community and its economy, and are disappointed at this outcome."

The largely vacant site was home to the Colman's Mustard factory for more than 160 years and contains several listed structures.

This includes Grade I-listed Carrow Abbey, which has the remains of an 11th Century Benedictine priory within its grounds.

The redevelopment of the site, which was expected to cost more than £460m, was initially proposed in July 2022.

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