Whole Settlement Strategy
NORTH WALSHAM
October 2003
NORTH
NORFOLK
DISTRICT COUNCIL
North Walsham Whole Settlement Strategy
INTRODUCTION
This strategy is the product of an extensive public participation exercise carried out in
2002 (details of this are given at the back of this report). The Strategy
outlines:
The roles that the town fulfills - including the perceptions of the nature of the town and
its various functions and services.
The issues that need to be addressed - relating to the physical environment, the
community and social life of the town and its economy.
Broad aims and objectives to guide the future development of the town - focused on
addressing land-use issues.
North Norfolk District Council has adopted the Strategy as Council Policy to guide the f u t u r e
development of North Walsham. It will be followed-up by detailed policies and
proposals in the review of the North Norfolk Local Plan (planning land use and
development up to 2011).
SUMMARY
North Walsham is a traditional Norfolk Market town, functioning as a significant centre for a wide rural
hinterland supporting a good range of jobs, community services, shops and commercial businesses.
The rail link to Norwich supplements the town’s services and facilities by providing good access to a
wider job market and to higher order shops and services. Access to Norwich by road, however, is less
satisfactory and the town is very much a centre in its own right and far from becoming a ‘dormitory’
town.
The essence of North Walsham’s historic and cultural roots is still in
evidence in the town’s built environment, especially in the centre,
which, coupled with its attractive surrounding farmland and
wooded landscape contributes to its sense of place and to the
quality of life for its 12,000 or so inhabitants.
The town has grown rapidly over recent years and the increase in
population has not been matched by increases in the capacity of
local schools, health and other community facilities. New housing
development, predominantly to the northeast of the town has also
put pressure on the local roads, particularly in the town centre. The
existence of low bridges creates access problems for local
industries and also impacts on the amenity of residents, town
centre businesses and their customers, as HGV’s frequently have
to use unsuitable roads in the town centre and residential areas.
The Strategy aims to utilise further development to enhance the
town’s attractiveness and to foster further investment in its
infrastructure, not to exacerbate its problems. It recognises the
significance of North Walsham's role as a service centre but also
the fact that in many ways it has reached its capacity.
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North Walsham Whole Settlement Strategy
ROLES
Environment
North Walsham is an attractive historic market
town surrounded by farmland and open
countryside. The town centre is designated as a
Conservation Area because of the large number
of important Listed Buildings and attractive
public spaces. This character is in contrast to
the more modern development that has taken
place beyond this historic core. There are
important environmental features in the
surrounding countryside that are valuable
assets, such as the North Walsham to Dilham
Canal and Bacton Woods. Access to the
surrounding countryside is good, supported by
Weaver’s Way and the ‘Quiet Lanes’ to the north
of the town.
Housing
North Walsham has grown significantly over the
past ten years or so with over 1,400 new
dwellings completed or in the pipeline since
1990. The population of the town has thus
grown rather rapidly over recent years to its
current level of over 12,000.
The new housing estates, developed mainly to
the east and north of the town, have
contributed to the wide range of house types,
tenure and price available. Despite this, a 1999
survey identified that 203 households were in
need of suitable accommodation in the town
and since then house prices have risen steeply.
Community Facilities
North Walsham serves as a local service centre
to residents of the town and a wide rural
hinterland. It has good facilities which meet the
educational, healthcare, social and recreational
needs of its catchment very well, although in
many instances they have reached their
capacity.
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North Walsham Whole Settlement Strategy
Employment
The economy of the town was considered to be
relatively buoyant. There are plenty of employment
opportunities in the town for people in the
catchment and residents of the town also commute
to Norwich, Coltishall and even Cromer for work.
Manufacturing is a key economic sector in the town;
there tends to be less activity in the service industries
and tourism than elsewhere in North Norfolk.
Shopping
Whilst North Walsham town centre has a range of
shops that generally meet people’s day-to-day
needs, it is not a significant centre for major
purchases, specialist or ‘recreational’ shopping.
The development of the new Lidl and the expected
extension of Sainsbury’s foodstore are likely to
remove the possibility of an out-of-centre
supermarket in the medium-term. An out-of-town
DIY store, however, is currently proposed on the
former General Trailer’s site.
Transport
North Walsham is conveniently located between
other market and resort towns and a wide area of
open countryside, the coast and the Norfolk Broads.
The town’s relatively close proximity to Norwich is
beneficial for access to jobs, shopping and
entertainment. Whilst it benefits from good road and
rail connections to many of the surrounding areas,
there are considerable transport problems
experienced within the town.
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North Walsham Whole Settlement Strategy
ISSUES
Environment
First impressions of the town are poor because of unattractive ‘gateway’
sites such as the former General Trailers’ site, Midland Road and the railway
station yard.
The car parks are unattractive and unwelcoming and do not do justice to
the high quality of the town centre.
There has been little imagination in the design of new residential areas and
there is no vernacular theme.
The North Walsham to Dilham Canal and Ebridge Mill are environmental
assets that are under-utilised.
There should be no more sprawling estate development.
Housing
House prices are outstripping wage levels.
There is a particular need for ‘starter homes’ and single person’s flats.
Routes from the new housing estates to the town centre, the industrial
estate, the station, the health centre and the High School are congested
and access by foot or by bike is poor.
Recent estate developments have not been designed as the kind of
attractive, high-quality living environments that people desire.
The new housing estates were developed in a piecemeal fashion and feed
off the existing historic roads. The existing roads and other infrastructure
cannot support further housing development to the north and east of the
town.
Under the current planning strategy approximately 300 houses will need to
be provided in North Walsham between 2006 and 2011. Some of this can
go on land within the town that has been previously developed
(’brownfield’ land) but a large amount may need to be developed on
‘greenfield’ land beyond the current town boundary.
Employment
The low bridges over the Cromer and Norwich Roads are a major constraint
which deters further industrial expansion, especially in the area currently
identified in the Local Plan to the north of the town. Development values
for employment uses are unlikely to fund major highway improvements.
Agriculture is still important to the local economy even though it is not a
major employer.
Tourism opportunities need to be fostered through the development of
new attractions and accommodation.
There is concern that opportunities for employers wishing to set up in the
town are limited by the lack of suitable factory units and office space.
Employment should be increased in the retail sector by the expansion of
the town centre.
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North Walsham Whole Settlement Strategy
Community Facilities
The town’s population growth has not been matched by growth in the level of service
provision and many facilities have reached their capacity such as the doctor’s surgeries
and the schools.
The town’s parks and playing fields are a valuable asset for young and old alike.
More facilities are needed for young people, particularly a swimming pool, skatepark,
youth club, cinema and night club.
There are not enough police in the town.
The recent closure of the court and the scaling down of the police station are unfortunate
steps. Consideration should be given to locating a new court for North Norfolk in North
Walsham.
Shopping
The range of shops in the town centre is very limited.
Small shop units in the town centre are not suitable for attracting national retailers.
There are too many units occupied by non-shopping uses (such as banks and estate
agents) in the town centre.
The Sainsbury supermarket is located well away from the town centre and pedestrian
access between the two, via Bacton Road or Mundesley Road is extremely poor quality. St
Nicholas’ Court, despite being out of character with the town centre, does provide a
pedestrian link to the North Street car park. Land between the car park and Sainsbury’s car
park is currently unused. This presents an ideal opportunity to link the town centre with the
Sainsbury's store.
Transport
The principal difficulty is presented by the low railway bridges on the Norwich and Cromer
Roads, necessitating heavy lorries to travel through the town centre and residential areas.
The bypass and the railway make walking and cycling between the east and the west of the
town difficult and dangerous.
The new housing estates to the north and east of the town (particularly Brick Kiln Road) are
accessed via congested and inadequate roads.
Routes for pedestrians and cyclists from most residential areas to the town centre, the
schools, the railway station and Folgate Road Industrial Estate are poor.
There are no facilities in the town for cyclists, such as cycle lanes, cycle racks etc.
The railway station is unattractive and has inadequate parking.
Traffic circulation around the town centre is confusing, poorly signposted and bottlenecks
put people off using certain routes e.g. the junction of Church Street and Market Place
causing ‘rat runs’.
The road from North Walsham to Norwich is inadequate for the level of traffic such a
strategic route would be expected to carry.
There are no late night trains from Norwich.
Pavements around the town centre are too narrow.
Most people felt it was a shame there is still parking in the Market Place.
Traffic congestion problems are experienced on Bacton Road as a result of the poor
configuration of the access to Sainsbury’s petrol filling station.
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North Walsham Whole Settlement Strategy
AIMS and OBJECTIVES
Environment
To conserve the historic character of the town
and ensure that new development reflects
distinctive local qualities.
To enhance the setting of the town and its
‘gateways’ and ensure that any new
development on the edge of the town is
planned, laid-out and landscaped so as to
minimise its impact on the surrounding
countryside.
Housing
To enable the development of new housing of
an appropriate scale and type to meet the
short-term needs of the town up to 2011
(300 dwellings approximately) provided that
this can be balanced with increasing
employment opportunities and
improvements in the provision of health,
education and other community facilities.
The development of such new housing must
accord with the following principles.
It should be well integrated with the town
as a whole.
It should be in a location that affords safe
and convenient access to the town centre,
schools, jobs and recreational areas by
walking and cycling as well as by public
transport and car.
Access to/from the bypass must be
provided without the need to pass
through the town centre.
Adequate new school facilities must be
provided to meet the needs of the new
residents.
Adequate healthcare facilities and other
social and community facilities must be in
place to cater for the needs of the new
residents.
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Housing (cont.)
Developments should aim to meet the
housing requirements of the whole
community and should consist of a mix of
tenure, size and type of housing - in
particular, developments should include
‘starter homes’ and accommodation for
single people.
Developments should include a significant
proportion of housing that is ‘affordable’ to
local people in need of accommodation.
Particular attention must be paid to the
outer edges of development to provide an
attractive town boundary and minimise its
impact on the surrounding landscape.
Only consider proposing further housing
development (beyond 2011) if
improvements to the transport
infrastructure in the town can be made,
which both serve future development and
solve existing highway problems (i.e. the
provision of a link road).
Employment
To encourage the establishment of a diverse
economy that keeps pace with any growth in
the population of the town by:
ensuring an adequate supply of accessible
employment land;
realising the opportunity of transporting
freight by rail;
exploiting suitable opportunities for the
development of tourism attractions and
visitor accommodation; and
maintaining and expanding employment in
the retail sector by protecting and
expanding shopping in the town centre.
North Walsham Whole Settlement Strategy
AIMS and OBJECTIVES
Community Facilities
To maintain the range and quality of
community facilities in the town, which meet
the general everyday needs of the town and
its catchment.
To ensure that any new residential
development is matched by improvements in
the level of healthcare, education, recreation
and other community facilities provided.
Shopping
To enable North Walsham to provide better
shopping facilities and attract more retail
trade by:
protecting the role of the town centre as
the focus for retail development;
seizing appropriate opportunities in the
town centre to encourage the
development of larger retail units;
maintaining an attractive town centre
environment; and
Transport
To ensure that routes between major
residential areas, the town centre, the
schools, the railway station and Folgate Road
Industrial Estate are pedestrian-friendly and
safe for cyclists.
To ensure that the town centre is safe and
accessible for pedestrians.
To link the Market Place with Sainsburys’
store by creating a safe and attractive
pedestrian route from Vicarage Street,
across North Street car park, to the former
Hannant’s Garage site.
Only to allow major growth if the traffic
circulation problems within the town can be
solved.
To seek improvements in the quality and
convenience of public transport to/from
North Walsham particularly by capitalising
on the Bittern Line.
creating a pedestrian link between the
Sainsbury’s supermarket and the town
centre, passing through North Street Car
Park. (Such a link would create a
pedestrian flow that could be mutually
beneficial to Sainsburys and the town
centre as a whole, each acting as an
‘anchor’. This would provide the
opportunity for the development of new
retail units along this route that would
complement and not compete with the
existing town centre. The increased
pedestrian flow could also be the catalyst
for the improvement of St Nicholas’
Court).
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North Walsham Whole Settlement Strategy
P u b l i c Pa r t i c i p a t i o n P r o c e s s
Stakeholder Workshop
Fifty five people representing a wide range of interests (commercial businesses, community
organisations, special interest groups, sporting, religious and educational interests and members of
town, parish and District Councils) were involved in a workshop on 14 February 2002.
Targeted Session
To ensure that young people’s views were represented, a workshop session was held on 21 March
2002 at North Walsham High School. Approximately twenty-five students from all age groups were
actively involved.
Interactive Exhibition
The ideas generated at the workshops were developed into displays that were exhibited at St
Benet’s Hall in the town centre on Thursday 4 and Saturday 6 April, 2002. Approximately 220
people attended this exhibition giving feedback on the issues and prioritising the options put
forward.
For further information please contact:
Forward Planning Manager, North Norfolk District Council,
PO Box 5, Council Offices, Holt Road, Cromer,
Norfolk. NR27 9DZ
Telephone : 01263 516133
e-mail - gary.alexander@north-norfolk.gov.uk
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