Supplementary Planning Documents for South Norfolk Council

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) help explain how certain policies in the Local Plan should be used when making planning decisions. They don’t create new policies, but they do give extra detail and guidance to make the planning process clearer for everyone.

SPDs must follow the rules set out in the Local Plan and stay consistent with its policies. Before any SPD is officially adopted, it goes through a public consultation, so local people and organisations can have their say. This is part of our commitment to community involvement.

We’ve already adopted several SPDs to support planning in South Norfolk, which you can see below.

Landscape Susceptibility in relation to Energy Generation, Storage and Transmission Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

South Norfolk is quickly becoming a focus for new energy infrastructure projects. As proposals for solar farms, battery storage, substations, and powerlines increase, it’s vital to understand how these developments could impact our diverse landscapes, from peaceful river valleys and open farmland to the edges of our towns.

This SPD assesses the susceptibility of the different landscapes within the South Norfolk district to change from a range of energy-related development scenarios including solar photovoltaic panels, anaerobic digestion plants, battery storage facilities, overhead powerlines, underground cable routes and substations. The SPD is supplementary to national and local policies including policies in the Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP) (Adopted 2024) and the South Norfolk Development Management Policies Document (Adopted 2015). It will support the Council in making informed decisions that balance progress with protection, ensuring South Norfolk remains a beautiful place to live, work, and visit. This SPD was adopted on 18th February 2026.

Download the Landscape Susceptibility SPD

Open Space SPD

We have prepared the Open Space SPD to provide guidance for the provision, adoption and future maintenance of outdoor recreational facilities directly needed as a result of new development within the district. It makes clear what we expect when deciding planning applications and provides guidance for town and parish councils and other similar organisations considering taking on the long-term responsibility for open space and recreational facilities.

The guide is applicable to all new residential development proposing 15 units or more. It sets out both the quantitative and qualitative amounts of recreational open space generated by new proposals using an occupancy multiplier, as well as the Council’s preferred approach for the adoption and maintenance of these areas.

The SPD expands on both national and local planning policy, in particular Development Management policy DM3.15 ‘Outdoor play facilities and recreational space’, and will be used as a consideration in the determination of planning applications.

Download the Open Space SPD

Landscape Character Assessments

We also have detailed Landscape Character Assessments and advice on wind turbines in South Norfolk. Landscape Character Assessments are comprehensive, detailed studies of the landscape and environment. In 2001 Land Use Consultants undertook a Landscape Character Assessment of the South Norfolk district.

This work was updated and reviewed by Chris Blandford Associates in 2012 to provide evidence to support the emerging new Local Plan. The Chris Blandford Associates ‘South Norfolk Local Landscape Designations Review’ work should be read in conjunction with the 2001 Landscape Character Assessment.

Download the Landscape Character Assessments and advice on wind turbines

Norfolk County Council Parking Standard SPD

The parking standards have been prepared by Norfolk County Council. The purpose of this document is to provide a consistent set of parking guidelines for application within new developments throughout Norfolk. Download the Norfolk County Council Parking Standard SPD.

Advice notes and reference documents

An advice note has been produced by South Norfolk and Broadland Councils to help guide developers on the requirements that allow the Council to provide refuse collection and street care services. The advice note has not been prepared as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and does not carry the weight of an SPD in the decision making process. Nonetheless, the guidance contained in the advice note will be a material consideration that will be referred to in determination of relevant planning applications. Read the advice note on planning for waste and recycling collections and street care in new developments (PDF 621KB).

Advice notes have also been produced for Working from Home (Download the South Norfolk Council Working from Home Advice Note) and for Agricultural Occupancy Restrictions (Download the South Norfolk Council Agricultural Occupancy Restrictions and the Removal of Occupancy Conditions Advice Note).