BTA has commissioned town planning advisers Urban Imprint to do an initial review of existing planning policies that are relevant to Mount Anvil’s proposal and identify areas of possible policy breaches that we can use to base our objections on once the formal planning application has been submitted.
We did this because we know our objections will carry a lot more weight if we can link them to existing planning policies and demonstrate how the Mount Anvil proposal is breaching official guidelines and policy.
Urban Imprint have found that there are quite a number of policy requirements that Mount Anvil’s proposal seems to go against (given what we know about it so far). The main ones are related to:
- The mix and type of housing (for example, the low percentage of social housing and family-sized units)
- Internal and external space standards (for example, the segregation of social and private housing)
- Internal design, including daylight, access and circulation (for example, the lack of daylight in surrounding buildings as well as in the planned courtyard)
- The Impact on the character of the surrounding area (for example, the proposal’s failure to respect the existing physical context)
- The quality and inclusivity of public spaces (for example, the lack of communal areas that will be easily accessible for residents living in surrounding streets)
- Provision of services and parking (for example, the lack of parking provision for an additional 400+ households)
This means these are all areas in which we can make strong and specific arguments against Mount Anvil’s proposal with the backing of existing planning policies.
In addition, Urban Imprint highlighted the significance of the status of St Martin’s Church as a Grade I listed building. Historic England will likely be consulted in the planning process, and it is possible to make the case that the development will negatively impact the setting of the church. We will continue to work with the vicar to explore this.
A final point that stood out to us from Urban Imprint’s initial review is that there is actually no policy basis on which any developer can build at the density Mount Anvil is proposing to do at Bacton. They found that while “the principle of an additional 148 homes on this site is established [which the council’s own scheme from 2022 would have built], the principle of an additional 348 is not”.
This gives us a strong basis to flesh out our objections and get ready for when the planning application finally drops (which could be any time from now).
We’re so grateful to everyone who has donated to our fundraiser that made it possible for us to commission this piece of work! Our next goal is to reach £5,000 so that Urban Imprint and other specialists can help us draft our objections that are technically sound and can form the basis of a legal challenge if it came to it. If you’re able to chip in again or tell other neighbours about it, we so appreciate it.
Mount Anvil think they can get away with making huge private profit off our public land in one of the poorest areas of the borough. We will show them they have picked the wrong patch for their fight!
Bacton Towers Action 