The step is seen as a victory for those who want to see more empty homes brought back into use. Almost 500 homes in Norwich are currently classed as empty.

Commenting following Tuesday’s full council meeting, Cllr Alan Waters (Crome, Lab), deputy leader of the council said: “We hope this decision[..] will encourage owners of homes that are sitting unoccupied to rent those properties out or put them back onto the market. Removing any incentive to hang onto an empty home is clearly a positive step with the potential to benefit home seekers.”

Opposition councillors pushed for this tax loophole to be removed. Cllr James Wright (Eaton, Lib Dem) commented:“The 10% council tax discount on empty homes incentivizes people to keep homes vacant. At a time when we have a housing shortage in Norwich and a stubbornly high housing waiting list this makes no sense”.

He added: “I hope that ending this discount will help the process and it will bring nearly £60,000 into public coffers, as councils will gain from its closure. In the long term we should be looking at ending the council tax discount given to 342 second homes as well.”

Samir Jeraj, who represents Town Close ward, argues it’s time for tenants to come together to fight for decent conditions and rents.

Read Samir Jeraj’s thoughts, over in our Opinion section.

Want to submit an Opinion piece to us? Email editor@southnorwichnews.co.uk

Building work is underway on 93 Unthank Road which will open in early 2012 as Norwich Property Centre.

A new concept on the housing market, the centre aims to be more than an estate agent by offering advice on all property matters.

These range from buying and selling houses, landlord and tenant matters or even property renovation. Stephen Ives-Keeler, a practicing solicitor who’s behind the business, said: “In the current climate, you’ve got to be inventive and have a USP. No-one else is doing this in Norwich.”

The Centre will also offer advice on areas such as property investment and re-mortgages, and may have an in-house interior designer.

Norwich Property Centre will become the latest addition to Unthank Road, following in the footsteps of Le Chateau, William H. Brown, Websters and Tesco. As reported last week, interest has been expressed by other parties in taking over the popular restaurant 103, a few doors away, which has ceased trading.

It’s among the first to test out this new power.

The first step is to ask the village what it wants, which got underway today.

A public exhibition opened today at Cringleford Pavillion on Oakfields Road. The aim is to gauge local opinion on the size and shape of future development in the village. Having already doubled in size in the last 10 years, Cringleford has been earmarked for a further 1200 homes.

While these homes will almost certainly be built, by being a front runner, the village can put together a neighbourhood plan, explaining how the development could fit into the area. Anne Barnes, clerk to the parish council said: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to shape the future of our village.”

According to the government, these new powers will give local people “unprecedented influence to determine the future of their areas[..]neighbourhood planning will allow communities to shape their own vision for their community, from deciding the locations of shops, offices and schools to setting standards of design for new housing and protecting green spaces of value to the community.”

The community has the final say on whether a neighbourhood plan comes into force. If more than 50 per cent of people voting in a local referendum support the plan, then the local planning authority must bring it into force. Anne Barnes added: “We won’t know if the plan will have any power or not but we’re hopeful.”

Speaking at the launch of the front runner initiative, Planning Minister Greg Clark said: “For too long local people have been shut out of the planning process with no real voice to affect decisions about the places where they live. Unpopular regional strategies left people without the ability to influence the future of their community and this fuelled resentment towards growth. Neighbourhood planning will hand power back to communities to decide the vision for their area as they see fit, encouraging people to plan positively for their future. This is localism in action and the enthusiasm across the country for neighbourhood planning shows how keen communities are to get involved.”

Each front runner’s local council is being given £20,000 to support work on neighbourhood planning and free advice from planning experts will be available for the local community.

The public exhibition continues tomorrow at Cringleford Pavillion on Oakfields Road.

Websters are the first in a new series on South Norwich News, giving a snapshot of local businesses.

• If you’re thinking of selling your house, Websters offering a commission rate of 0.5% if you sign up before January 1st 2012.
• Just over a month old, Websters are a small, independent estate agents, operating only in Norwich.
• They are a family-run business, headed up by husband and wife, Emma and Charlie Webster, who both grew up in Norwich.
• Their family also own the former hardware store, Burrells, on Unthank Road. Discussions are underway with planning officers about changing the use of the property. They are open to any ideas local people might have for the building.
• They also run an online business, Albatross Villas, which provides holiday accommodation on Portugal’s Silver Coast.

At a packed public meeting last month, residents made their opposition clear to plans to build on the city’s former cricket ground in Lakenham.

Now, one councillor has suggested a way forward.

Cllr David Fairbairn, Liberal Democrat City Council member for Lakenham, has suggested that a ‘land swap’ could be used to preserve the former Lakenham Sports and Leisure site as a public green space.

Last month, residents voiced their anger at plans to build houses on the site, at a public meeting. The site has been empty for over 3 years but a proposal to develop the site, owned by Andre Serruys, includes a minimum of 65 houses on the northern part of the site and a smaller area of public open space to the south.

At last night’s full council meeting at Norwich City Council, Cllr Fairbairn asked if officers could investigate negotiating a land swap with the owner: ”The prospect of housing development at the Lakenham Sports and Social Centre has met with near universal rejection by the local residents. They remember when the site was open to the public, and enjoyed it as an open green space. It is their clear wish that the site be preserved as that – an open green space with public access.”

After the meeting, he added: “There is little enough open space in this part of the city, and people remember when the cricket ground was open and you could walk round there. This is a historic site, cricket has been played here for about 170 years. It is part of Norwich’s heritage. I am trying to find a way to keep the site as a green space that people have access to, in this built-up area of the city. If houses are built there, the land will be lost forever. A land swap could be a way to do this.”

In a written reply, the council’s portfolio holder, Bert Bremner (University, Labour) said: “I stronglt suspect that this would not be an option.”

Liberal Democrats councillors have been told the City Council has assets amounting to millions, which is why they are pressing for this idea to be given serious consideration.

A consultation on whether to include the Lakenham Sports and Leisure Site, in the City Council’s draft development framework, runs until this Friday, 30th September 2011.

Plans to build on a green open space off Bluebell Road have been submitted to the council.

With a month to go before the consultation closes, we ask: should this land be built on?

Where:

5.47 hectares of land in Eaton, west of Bluebell Road, Bartram Mowers Ltd

What:

Building between 150-200 units of housing for the elderly. The area was previously used for nurseries, with the site under glasshouses until the 1960s. Much of the site is now semi-natural grassland.
Adjoining land in the Yare Valley is mainly undeveloped.

The landowner proposes:

• a new footpath linking the Yare Valley Walk to Bluebell Road

• the area bordered by the dotted line will be made available for public access and recreational open space

• potential public access to the land in the Yare Valley that could link up with the adjoining University Broad

Main constraints:

The site is in a river valley, is partially classed as urban green space, and is linked to the core cycle network. The land was previously discounted by the city council due to concerns relating to loss of green space. The current proposal is based on a reduced site boundary with a different use proposed.

Comments:

The Yare Valley Society are meeting to discuss their response. Local councillors in Eaton have been knocking on people’s doors, informing local residents about the consultation, finding some residents in favour and some against. Eaton councillor, Caroline Ackroyd, said: “Despite the smaller area proposed for development it constitutes a loss of green space with access onto a busy road.  It represents an intrusion into an unofficial ‘green belt’ between the built area and the Yare Valley which offers opportunities for leisure and wildlife rich in biodiversity. There are other sites in Norwich which are more suitable for development.”

Consultation:
The consultation closes on Friday 30 September 2011. To make your views known, go to the city council’s website and select “current consultations” from the left hand side.

The majority of residents feel there’s a “crying need” for the site to be retained as a green, open space for the community.

The site, off City Road, has stood empty for over 3 years. It was once home to a sports and leisure centre, widely used by the local community. Last night was a chance for residents to ask questions of the council about why plans for the site are being consulted on again, after a previous scheme was withdrawn in January.

The site is owned by Andre Serruys, and a new proposal includes a minimum of 65 houses on the northern part of the site with a smaller area of public open space to the south.

One resident, Sue P. accused the council of taking the “easy option” if they allowed building housing on the land, arguing they would be “taking away a valuable piece of green space within a high density area.” Terry Dunning, who lives on nearby Geoffrey Road, added: “In Lakenham there is a crying need for open space and for this space to be retained for use by the public.”

Chaired by councillor David Fairbairn (Lib Dem, Lakenham), he added his opposition: ”I am convinced that this site should not be used to build houses on. It has survived as an open area, mostly under grass, for over a century, and it is actually a part of the city’s heritage.  It would be tragic if houses were built on it. The Council should use all means possible to ensure it remains open ground, with public access.”

The council’s head of planning, Graham Nelson said, according to national standards: “There is a shortfall of parks, gardens, play provision and allotments in this area.” Radical changes are being proposed by the Government, which could become planning policy within a year, which he said: “Includes provisions for local communities to identify areas of green open space for protection.” But he warned that a a time of austerity, the idea that the council would purchase the land for the local community was unlikely: “put bluntly, we can’t afford it.”

At the end of the meeting Cllr Fairbairn added: “Local residents are the ones who can supply the information to the City Council, making the case for why this site should not be earmarked for development in this way.” Councillor, Victoria MacDonald (Labour, Lakenham) said: “We need evidence that this is not acceptable [...] What we need is your voice to support us.”

The consultation on whether to include the Lakenham Sports and Leisure Site, in the City’s draft development framework, runs until the end of September.

A residents’ association is being set up in light of the opposition: contact lakenham.residents@hotmail.co.uk

For the full story, click through to our Features section.

Last month, the council announced that 12 sites in Norwich are under re-consideration for development. The City Council wants to hear people’s views on revised plans which could see some of them included in Norwich’s strategic housing plans up to 2026.

Bert Bremner (Lab, University), portfolio holder for planning and transport said: “This important consultation is your chance to have your say on the future face of Norwich. It is vital that people let us know what they think about these potential sites and their reasons – we need this information to make the right decisions about which sites to include in the plan.”

Included among the 12 is the former cricket ground in Lakenham. A public meeting outlining the plans will be held tomorrow night at Lakenham Primary School from 7pm. The southern part of the site could now be turned into a public space, possibly for allotments. A representative from the City Council planning department will be on hand to answer questions residents have.

In south Norwich, the council also wants people’s views on plans to develop land west of Bluebell Road, owned by Bartram Mowers Ltd. Under these revised plans, this land would be developed as housing for the elderly. The boundary has also been amended on a site at Heigham Water Treatment Works on Waterworks Road, which could be developed for housing, small industrial use and open public space.

You can view the plans online under ‘Current consultations’ and comment by downloading the response form and emailing it to ldf@norwich.gov.uk or by posting your response to the council’s planning policy and projects team, Room 326, City Hall, St Peters Street, Norwich NR2 1NH.