WELCOME: INTRODUCTION TO
TAYLOR WIMPEY
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
We are a national company, working
locally across the UK. At Taylor
Wimpey we provide high quality
places to live with appropriate
facilities, an attractive environment
and sense of place, while also adding
social, economic and environmental
value to the wider communities in
which we operate.
Images of previous Taylor Wimpey development
We are one of the foremost residential developers in the UK and have
24 regional offices covering England. Each of our regional offices
employs people from within its local area. Taylor Wimpey was formed
by the merger of George Wimpey and Taylor Woodrow in 2007,
although we have a history dating back to the 19th Century. We are
one of the largest homebuilders in the UK, completing approximately
14,500 homes each year.
14,087
Number of home
completions
nationally 2021
2,501
Number of affordable
homes completions
2021
228
Number of schemes
currently being
developed
Welcome to our public exhibition
Welcome to this consultation exhibition, which has been prepared
by Taylor Wimpey to provide information on the proposed new
community at North Rackheath. We are delighted to be able to hold
this in-person exhibition, where you will be able to find information
regarding our proposals, get answers to frequently asked questions,
understand the next steps and provide your feedback.
In summer 2021, Taylor Wimpey held an online consultation on
the refined North Rackheath masterplan. We are grateful for the
feedback provided by members of the public during this initial
consultation which has helped inform the proposals on show today.
Local feedback will continue to be very important as we look to
further evolve and refine our proposals prior to submitting planning
applications to Broadlands District Council in spring this year.
“Our aim is to be the nation’s
leading residential developer
for creating value and delivering
quality. We are passionate
about working with local people,
businesses, local authorities
and our customers to build
For more information, visit:
taylorwimpey.co.uk
aspirational homes”
Taylor Wimpey lays the foundations for
thriving communities
1,038
Number of key
tradespeople directly
employed by Taylor
Wimpey
92%
Percentage of
customers who would
recommend Taylor
Wimpey to a friend
0.76
The average number
of private sales made
per outlet per week
*All figures are for 2020. 1. The number of key tradespeople directly employed by Taylor Wimpey including bricklayers, joiners, carpenters,
painters, scaffolders and trade apprentices. 2. Percentage of customers who would recommend Taylor Wimpey to a friend as measured by the
National New Homes Survey undertaken by the NHBC on behalf of the HBF eight weeks after legal completion.
SITE & CONTEXT
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
The site lies between Salhouse,
Rackheath and the Rackheath
Industrial Estate.
It is bound by Wroxham Road to the west and the Bittern railway line
to the east. The site was originally farmland until 1943, when, during
the Second World War, it was converted into the military airfield RAF
Rackheath. Very little of the original runways remain, with most of the
concrete being broken up for aggregate. After the Second World War
the site reverted back to agricultural use and Rackheath Industrial Estate
was built on the western part of the airfield.
2018 Masterplan
The site is allocated for development in the Broadland District Council
Old Catton, Sprowston, Rackheath & Thorpe St Andrew Growth
Triangle Area Action Plan, July 2016 and both reflected in, and aligned
with the 2017 Rackheath Neighbourhood Plan and the 2017 Salhouse
Neighbourhood Plan. It also benefits from a Masterplan prepared and
endorsed by Broadland District Council in 2018. As detailed in the
planning history below, the site has been designated for development for
over a decade. The endorsed Masterplan includes scope for:
• 16 hectares (ha) of sports pitches and
pavilion
• Over 100 ha of informal open space,
including new parkland
Site Outline Plan
• Access to Salhouse rail station
• Approximately 4,000 new homes
• 1.8 ha of allotments space
• Land for a secondary school and two
primary schools
• Up to 1,500 square metres of retail space
• 25 ha of employment land
• 3.5 km of off road dedicated cycle way
Planning History
A brief timeline of the site’s planning history
is presented below:
2009
2011
2016
First identified as an ‘Eco Town’ location
Joint Core Strategy for Broadland
recognised the principle of a new community
at North Rackheath
Allocated in Policy GT16 of the Old Catton,
Sprowston, Rackheath & Thorpe St Andrew
Growth Triangle Area Action Plan
2017
Site was reflected in the 2017 Rackheath
Neighbourhood Plan
2018
North Rackheath Masterplan endorsed by
Broadland District Council
Spring
2021
Taylor Wimpey acquire North Rackheath site
Summer
2021
Taylor Wimpey’s first consultation on refined
masterplan
Endorsed 2018 North Rackheath masterplan
Illustrative masterplan with Parish Boundaries overlaid
ILLUSTRATIVE MASTERPLAN
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
Scheme Overview
Up to
4,000
new homes
10%
affordable housing
Land for 2
primary schools
and 1 secondary
school
New
community
facilities
Over 100 ha of
public, open
space
PLACEMAKING &
CHARACTER AREAS
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
• Approximately 4,000 homes will be provided for, which includes
land for 1,000 homes to be delivered beyond 2038 (the Plan
period).
• There will be a mix of housing types, sizes and tenures that suits
the needs of the local community and the wider area.
• This includes first time buyers’ homes, family homes and homes
for those downsizing.
• Affordable housing will be evenly distributed throughout the
development to ensure a mixed and balanced community.
Character Areas
Reflecting feedback received from Officers at Broadland
District Council as part of the pre-application discussions,
three overlapping character areas are proposed across North
Rackheath. These have been devised to create an overarching
identity for North Rackheath that reflects the Site’s relationship
with its surrounding context. You can see an overview of the
proposed character areas below. The supporting Design Code
will provide further detail on how these character areas will be
achieved at the detailed design stage.
The Knoll
The Knoll
Located to either side of Stonehouse Road, and close to the Knoll in the
nearby public park.
• More ‘rural’ in character, reflecting a more village/rural character with
strong vernacular references.
• Streets and lanes have a more informal layout, and more irregular
arrangements, through a greater variation in building setbacks and
orientations, particularly along the edges to the Public Park and the
open space.
• Lowest densities and will be limited in height to a maximum of 2
storeys.
The
• Materials and building styles will be underpinned by the local
vernacular, through the use of elements such as red and grey
pantiles, and a variety of render and brick colours.
Community
Quarter
The Community Quarter
Pinewoods
This area will be a focal point for the creation of a strong community
identity at North Rackheath.
• Contains 2 community hubs, created by the co-location of the
schools and the local centres.
• The Avenue will form the artery of the Community Quarter, and will be
a tree lined street providing a direct and obvious link between the two
community hubs.
• The Avenue will also have an off-carriageway, 5.0m wide cycle and
pedestrian path.
Character Area Plan
• Streets in the Community Quarter will be recognisable by having more
formal, angular spaces, with the new homes being located closer to
the back edge of the pavement.
• Lower in density in comparison to the Community Quarter with
a more spacious feel and homes being set back further from
the street.
• Generally will contain the highest densities in North Rackheath with
more contemporary designs and styles, underpinned by a limited
palette of materials and colours to create a strong uniform character.
• Pinewood Drive will characterised by its gently sweeping
curves and filter strips, planted with wildflower, flanking either
side of the street.
Pinewoods
• The interface between the front gardens and the street edges
will be defined by hedgerows.
As its name suggest, this area reflects that the character area’s identity
will be derived from the retention of the existing wooded belts, which will
be retained as integral parts of the public open spaces.
• Centred upon Pinewood Drive and will be ‘suburban’ in character.
• The design of the homes will be less contemporary than the
Community Quarter, with a greater variety of building materials
and colours being used.
HIGHWAYS, ACCESS &
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
Proposed
Primary Access
Points
Green Lane West: A new
priority junction, built for
Phase 1. Priority would be
given to vehicles entering the
development, catering for
increased traffic through the
site. A 3m wide shared footway/
cycleway would also be built
along Green Lane West and
extended into the site.
Wroxham Road South: A
new priority junction to serve
the schools and residential
dwellings, connecting with the
main spine road.
Wroxham Road North: A new
northern gateway roundabout to
access the northern parcels of
the development.
Highways and Access Plan
Public Footpaths
and Cycleways
North Rackheath will offer a
variety of sustainable transport
options, including bus and rail but
importantly will offer a connected
network of pedestrian and cycle
routes, making walking and
cycling the preferred method
of travel into and around the
development. The internal cycle
network, much of which will be
traffic-free, will be split into four
main categories:
The Broadland Way: This
shared-use cycling and walking
route will be at the heart of the
development, running along the
path of the former main runway
and connecting Rackheath to
Norwich and Wroxham.
Primary Cycle Network: These
routes will have a segregated
provision for pedestrians and
cyclists along the spine roads,
with grass verges separating
pedestrian and cyclists from
vehicular traffic.
Rural/leisure routes: A quieter
network for leisure use, linking
the allotments, Salhouse Railway
Station and the playing fields.
On-road Routes: Located in
the more residential areas of the
development, these routes will
offer connections to the wider
walking and cycling network.
Bus Services
Bus services will be routed
through the development along
the main spine roads, with stops
planned within 400m of residential
dwellings and key facilities, such
as the schools and local centres.
Rail Services
The site benefits from access to
rail services with Salhouse Railway
Station located on the eastern
site boundary. The ambition is
for Salhouse Railway Station to
become a ‘mobility’ hub, further
reducing single car occupancy,
and making travel into Norwich
and the wider areas simpler and
more efficient.
Proposed Road
Changes
Muck Lane
It is proposed to close Muck
Lane at the junction with
Wroxham Road junction to
vehicles, with a pedestrian/
cycle access enforced by
bollards. Vehicular access will
be maintained from Station
Road onto Muck Lane, where
the route will then be diverted
onto the proposed spine roads
west of the railway underbridge.
Preserving vehicular access will
ensure third party land can still
be accessed. Local residents, as
well as bus services (including
bus replacement services) will
still have access to Salhouse
Railway Station.
Stonehouse Road
It is proposed to close the
Stonehouse Road junction
with Wroxham Road, with
a pedestrian/cycle only
access enforced by bollards.
Necessary westbound vehicular
access on Stonehouse Road will
be preserved via the proposed
new north-south link road which
will connect to the proposed
northern gateway roundabout.
Car Parking
Car parking will be planned
to avoid unwanted on-street
parking, with all residential
parking provision to be onplot in front of the house. Car
clubs will be considered as
an alternative to traditional
car ownership and to provide
flexibility when journeys need to
be undertaken by car. Electric
vehicle charging infrastructure
will be provided for all dwellings,
and electric vehicle infrastructure
provided in public areas across
the development.
Sustainable transport links
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
Our proposals for North Rackheath
includes significant provision of
community facilities. These include;
• Land for 2 primary schools
and 1 secondary school
• 2 new local centres
• New 25ha public park
• Over 81ha of informal, open
space
• 2 employment areas
• New allotments
• New sports pitches and
pavilions
• Play areas
New Community
Centres
Example
local
centre
There will be two mixed-use local centres
located in the southern and northern parts
of the proposed masterplan. These will be
vibrant hubs of activity and spaces for new
and existing residents to gather and meet.
The local centres will both be conveniently
located next to the two primary schools and
structured around a public square. Both
local centres will include small scale retail
and community uses, together with early
years facilities. Potential uses could include
coffee shops, restaurants, medical/health
facilities, small scale offices, a community
hall and fitness establishments.
There will be strong links between the
southern local centre and the existing
settlement edge of Rackheath, ensuring
it is accessible to existing residents. It is
proposed that the southern local centre
be the larger of the two, allowing it to
accommodate a larger convenience store
and a range of smaller shops. The southern
local centre’s public square will be designed
as a flexible space, capable of hosting
events such as markets. Furthermore, there
is potential to provide a residential care
home at the southern local centre, which
would benefit from being located in an
area of high community activity and social
interaction.
Employment Areas
Two employment areas are proposed north and south of Rackheath Industrial
Estate, providing an extension of the existing employment area. The exact mix
of employment uses is not known at this stage, but the employment land could
accommodate general industrial (subject to compatibility with the proposed new
homes), storage and distribution, and office space. One of the employment areas
will include provision for a community waste recycling centre. The employment
areas will be governed by a series of design principles, ensuring buildings
positively address their respective streets and that car parking is sufficient, welllandscaped and accessible.
Education Areas
Previous Taylor Wimpey school development
The masterplan provides land for two 2.5 hectare primary
school sites to allow for the provision of two primary schools
with 3 form entry and early years facilities. Both primary
schools will be located close to key pedestrian and cycle
routes, helping to make walking and cycling an instinctive
choice for the new community’s parents and children. The
masterplan has also made land available to accommodate a
12 hectare new secondary school, which will be capable of
accommodating 10 form entry and a sixth form facility.
LANDSCAPE STRATEGY
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
Taylor Wimpey’s approach to the
site will be landscape led, focusing
on delivering green spaces for all,
including the provision of formal
green space through sports pitches
and associated facilities, and
informal green space for the benefit
of creating and enhancing wildlife
habitats and protection of existing
species.
Across the North Rackheath
masterplan area, there will be a
rich network of connected and
accessible green open spaces,
offering safe routes for walking and
cycling. A significant amount of
green space is being incorporated
into the development (around 47%
of the site) including a large public
park in the north. Existing tree belts
and woodland are being retained
across the site and tree removal
avoided wherever possible. The
development will provide large areas
of high-quality meadow grassland
habitat and increased native tree
and shrub areas.
Key landscape features include:
• Runway Corridor: A linear park following the route of the
former main runway, providing a green lung in the centre of North
Rackheath and a focal point for existing and new residents to
meet, socialise and play. Pocket parks will feature play areas and a
Second World War memorial park.
• Public Park: A large public park to the north will provide a
significant area of public, open space for residents to enjoy.
• Sports Pitches: A range of sports pitches, such as football,
rugby, and cricket pitches and tennis courts. These will be located
at two recreation hubs with pavilions and changing facilities.
• New habitats: New woodland, thicket, tree and hedge planting
throughout the site, and new, species rich meadows in the public
park.
• Allotments: These are located in two areas in the north and south
of the site.
• Additional Green Corridors: Green corridors will also run north
to south and east to west, creating a comprehensive network of
linked open spaces. These corridors will offer routes for walking
and cycling and play areas.
• Formal equipped areas of play: Local equipped areas of play
will be provided across the site in a variety of locations.
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
2. Green Runway Corridors / Green Corridors
1. Public Park
The Public Park will provide a
substantial area of open space at the
northern end of the Site, providing
a landscape buffer between the
new homes and the Broads. This
will be laid out as informal parkland,
comprising significant areas of species
rich meadow grassland. Native tree
and woodland planting will add to
and extend the ancient woodland at
Bear’s Grove. Existing hedgerows will
be retained and managed, and there
is an opportunity to reinstate historic
hedgerows to add to the linear habitat
in this area.
The proposed runway corridor follows the alignment of the former
main runway, and will form a significant north - south route through the
Site, and a focus for pedestrian - cycle movement along the proposed
Broadland Way. A new formal park will be created at the intersection
with footpath Rackheath FP5, which will commemorate the airfields
past, and provide a visual link to the former control tower located at
the boundary with Rackheath Industrial Estate to the south east. Green
corridors will be created across the Site, to provide a series of east west connections, providing links across the Site.
3. Bittern Line Edge
The Bittern Line edge follows the
railway line at the eastern edge of
the Site and will provide a transition
between the Site and the wider
countryside and Salhouse to the east.
This area will incorporate significant
areas of new woodland / thicket
planting, together with areas of
new meadow grassland and a new
pedestrian / cycle link to Salhouse
Station.
6. Play Strategy
A comprehensive play strategy will be
delivered which will ensure each of
the new neighbourhoods within North
Rackheath are served by a variety
of play spaces which will deliver for
a range of different age groups and
abilities. Play spaces will be located
within the open spaces across the Site
and will be well served by walking and
cycle connections.
4. Formal and Informal
Recreation
5. The Avenue /
Pinewood Way
The Avenue and Pinewood Way form
the main streets which link across
the new development. The Avenue
will comprise a tree lined street with
grass verges and associated footways
/ cycleway. Street trees will provide
habitat and foraging opportunities for
local wildlife as well as improving air
quality and providing shade to the
footways and plot frontages.
Pinewood Way links through the
eastern part of the Site. It will be
planted with wild flora vegetation and
grasses to provide seasonal interest
and habitat for wildlife in particular
invertebrates.
Significant areas of formal sports
provisions are located within the
eastern part of the Site. Two areas
of allotments will serve the local
community and provide opportunities
for exercise and growing local produce.
Areas of community orchard can be
provided adjacent to these allotments.
An area of formal parkland will connect
the sports facilities. It will include a play
area, and seating / garden areas.
A 2.5km ‘parkrun’ route will be created
within the open spaces in the north
eastern part of the Site. This route
will avoid any road crossing ensuring
that it is a safe and attractive venue
for participants. In addition, a number
of trim trails stations will be provided
alongside the walking routes in the
north eastern part, further encouraging
active engagement with the open space
across the Site.
BIODIVERSITY &
SUSTAINABILE DRAINAGE
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
Taylor Wimpey is committed to
supporting nature across the North
Rackheath site. Careful design
and continued ecological input
throughout the masterplanning
process has ensured that there will be
a net gain in biodiversity across the
masterplan area.
The following measures, some of which are shown in the
illustration below, could be included to increase biodiversity
across the site:
• New nature friendly habitat planting, encouraging bees and
insects.
• Retention of tree belts and hedgerows, particularly protecting
those with the potential to support roosting bats and provide
nesting opportunities for bird species.
• New habitat creation with increased grassland habitat and tree
and shrub planting to improve foraging resource for birds and
wildlife.
• Long-term management of the woodland habitat to improve
species diversity and structure.
• Designation of part of the public park as an enhanced
‘wildlife area’ to benefit species such as grass snakes and
invertebrates.
• The proposed new homes will incorporate specialist nest
boxes and other measures, such as bug hotels, bee bricks,
hedgehog highways, bird boxes and bat tiles to provide
opportunities for species currently unable to nest on site.
Example wildlife planting
Sustainable Drainage
Sustainable principles will be at the heart of the site’s drainage strategy, with
green infrastructure being used to reduce surface water runoff particularly
during large rainfall events. The drainage strategy will be designed to utilise
the existing topography and natural drainage catchments for the site.
Key features include:
• Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) such as permeable paving,
bioretention areas, swales and planted basins, which will treat the water as
well as provide control over discharge rates.
• A piped drainage network, which will direct surface water from upstream
SuDS to strategically located basins throughout the site.
• Attenuation basins, which will be designed to store all surface water runoff from all rainfall
events up to those from a large 1 in 100 year +40% climate change rainfall event.
• Discharge from the attenuation basins will predominantly be via infiltration to the ground.
For a small section of the site the discharge from the attenuation basins will be at restricted
rates to the existing Anglian Water surface water network south of the site. This surface
water network discharges to Dobb’s Beck.
• The attenuation basins have been designed so that the drain down times meet Norwich
Airport requirements. This limits the occurrence of standing water across the site and
therefore minimises the creation of habitats that may attract wildfowl. This is required to
mitigate the risk to the airport of bird strike. The attenuation basins are proposed to be
up to 2m in depth (however the full depth will only be utilised during very large rainfall
events) and will be vegetated with grass and other suitable vegetation. They will also
include shallower areas at the edges which will be utilised less often for flood storage and
therefore provide greater opportunities for amenity and biodiversity via suitable vegetation.
Example sustainable drainage features
SUSTAINABILITY
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
At Taylor Wimpey we are committed
to playing our part in tackling key
sustainability challenges.
Our proposals contain a number
of features to deliver highly
energy efficient new homes with
reduced carbon emissions. Our
approach will be centred on the
principles of the energy hierarchy
where we aim to reduce energy
demand as far as possible,
supply energy efficiently
and use low carbon energy
technologies where suitable. We
are planning for no gas on site
and are exploring a number of
alternatives. An Energy Strategy
will be submitted as part of the
planning application. Features
which could be incorporated into
the new homes are shown in the
illustration on the right.
We have recently published our new Environment Strategy
‘Building a Better World’ which details our commitments to
helping build a more sustainable future. Our corporate targets
can be viewed below, but we have sought to use this strategy
as a starting point in developing how our proposals for North
Rackheath can be as sustainable as possible.
PHASE 1
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
The first phase of residential delivery
will see approximately 300 new
homes as well as delivery of vital
infrastructure, the local centre,
primary school and commercial
space.
The indicative phasing strategy has been devised to ensure
that supporting facilities and community infrastructure can be
delivered within the early phases of development and support the
new homes. It is anticipated that the southern primary school,
southern local centre (including early years provision), southern
allotments and southern sports provision would all be delivered in
an early phase of development.
Phasing Plan
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
What will our development bring to
the area?
We are proposing a residential development of up to 4,000
new homes in North Rackheath. The development will include
a range of property styles and sizes and 10% are proposed to
be affordable homes. New development can bring a number of
economic benefits to the local area and we have estimated these
using UK-wide statistical data.
Building the Homes
480 jobs
590 jobs
£106.3m
Direct employment
Indirect/induced ‘spin off’ jobs
created
Economic output
Estimated to create 480 temporary jobs over the build period.
Estimated 590 indirect/induced jobs created over the build period.
Once people move in
£20.9m
£44.1m
First occupation expenditure
Resident expenditure
Total anticipated spend on goods and services by people as
they move in to the new houses, to make them feel like home.
The amount residents of the new development are expected to
spend per year in local shops and services p.a.
Additional local authority income
£5.2m
£41m
Additional Council Tax revenues
per year
Planning contributions
Estimated additional Council Tax per year based on the
proposed number of new homes.
S.106 and CIL
Expected additional Gross Value Added (GVA) per year from
direct and indirect jobs.
FEEDBACK AND NEXT STEPS
TAYLORWIMPEY.CO.UK/NEW-HOMES/NORWICH/LAND-NORTH-OF-RACKHEATH
We hope that this
information is helpful in
setting out our proposals
for the new North Rackheath
community. We are
committed to delivering a
high-quality, landscape-led
development that respects
the character, landscape
and heritage of the area.
We are keen to hear your thoughts on our proposals and
would welcome your feedback. You can provide your views by
completing the online feedback form which can be found at www.
taylorwimpey.co.uk/new-homes/norwich/land-northofrackheath or by completing a paper feedback form.
We will review and reflect on the feedback received as we seek to
evolve and finalise the masterplan ahead of the submission of the
planning applications. A comprehensive Statement of Community
Involvement will be submitted as part of the applications that will
summarise the feedback received and how we have responded.
We are in the process of preparing a range of supporting documents
that will be submitted as part of the planning applications. These will
include comprehensive assessments relating to transport, landscape,
ecology as well as design and access. These will all be available to
view online once the applications have been submitted.
We would be grateful if you could provide your feedback by the 1st
March when our formal consultation period ends. If you have any
further queries or would like to contact us directly, please call us
by freephone on 0800 080 3172 or email us at northrackheath@
devcomms.co.uk
You will also have an opportunity to comment on the planning
applications after they are formally submitted to Broadland District
Council.
Next steps
1st March
February/March
Spring
Autumn
Autumn
Late
2022
Feedback deadline
2022
Reviewing feedback
and refining proposals
2022
Anticipated submission
of planning applications
2023
2024
2024
Anticipated
determination of
planning applications
Expected start of
infrastructure
construction
Expected start of house
construction