Local Development Orders in South Norfolk

Local Development Orders (LDOs) streamline planning arrangements by allowing specific types of development (subject to conditions) in specific areas without the need for planning applications for to be submitted. This means that it is not necessary for investors or occupiers to submit planning applications for their proposals.

South Norfolk Council is in the process of drafting two LDOs. One is at land to the east of the Food Enterprise Zone in Easton; the other is on land at Browick Road in Wymondham.

Food Enterprise Park, Easton

Located to the west of the village of Easton and to the south of the A47, the site of the proposed LDO seeks to build on the success of the existing Food Enterprise Park immediately to the west, which is the subject of a LDO that was adopted by Broadland District Council in 2017 and to the further facilitate the Greater Norwich Food Enterprise Zone, which were initiatives introduced by the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The LDO will act as a planning permission and will allow greater flexibility for new business-related development to locate within the site by:

enhancing rural development through the growth of food businesses in a particular location, be it producers, processors, retailers and/or manufacturers
encouraging greater collaboration between food and farming businesses, and even encourage links to research and education institutions, in order to develop the domestic food and farming sector
allowing local decision making, particularly for planning a development
attracting inward investment

The drafting of the LDO is underway. A stakeholder meeting has been held with representatives of local parish councils, South Norfolk Council and Broadland District Council in August 2023. Further events will take place as the LDO progresses.

Browick Road, Wymondham

The Browick Road site is a triangular parcel of land amounting to approximately 22 hectares in area on either side of Browick Road between the Norwich to Cambridge rail line and the A11. It is allocated for employment uses by Policy WYM5 of the Wymondham Area Action Plan. These uses comprise light industrial, offices, research and development, general industrial and storage and distribution uses. Some ancillary uses may also be acceptable. However, to date the site has not come forward for development and the intention of the LDO is to provide planning certainty for prospective occupiers and to kick start development at the site without individual planning applications needing to be submitted provided the parameters set out in the LDO are complied with.

At the time of writing, two stakeholder events have been held in June 2022 and December 2022 with representatives of Wymondham Town Council, South Norfolk Council, Norfolk County Council, The Lizard Trust and Greening Wymondham in attendance. Work is ongoing on the drafting of the LDO and supporting information and further stakeholder and consultation events will be held as the LDO progresses further.

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