After seven years of planning, the controversial 1,100-home Anglia Square project in Norwich has finally received planning approval. The Secretary of State intervened and overturned the City Council’s prior decision to approve the redevelopment of the 11.5-acre site, forcing the firm to start over and completely overhaul its original proposal.
The latest scaled-down hybrid planning application from Weston Homes will be approved, enabling the developer to purchase the Anglia Square site from Columbia Threadneedle. Weston Homes believes the phased redevelopment will begin within the next few months. This is even though there are still several obstacles to be cleared.
The £300 million Anglia Square development will replace Norwich’s old shopping center with a brand-new neighborhood. It will restore the city’s original Victorian street layout.
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Anglia Square project’s new plan
Over 2,200 jobs will be generated by the development during construction. The project will feature a public square, a network of pedestrian streets, and 14 new building blocks with heights ranging from 3 to 8 storeys. The original 20-storey tower plan was scrapped in favor of the new projects. Thus, it resulted in a 35% reduction in total floor space. In addition, 52% of the residential units now have dual aspects, up from 30%.
In addition to a community hub, a community hall, and a new employment floorspace, the project will also include 8,000 sq m of non-residential floorspace. There will be up to 450 parking spots for cars, 1,888 new cycle bays, and a North/South cycle path through the site. Furthermore, 200 trees will be planted.
The residential component will produce mixed-tenure, one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes. The initial phase included 279 market-sale, 58 social-rental, and 16 shared-ownership properties. Additionally, the Anglia Square project plans call for an additional 747 homes. It will have subsequent Reserved Matters applications to determine the final residential mix.
