Site Allocation:

 

Having been informed, by council departments at a higher level than us, that each parish would have to accommodate a specific number of new dwellings in the lifetime of the Plan (up to 2038), the DDNP steering group chose to allocate sites for development in each parish rather than have them imposed on us by developers and higher authorities. 

 

In our two consultations during 2020, (the results can be viewed further down this page), Roydon chose to make our 'Roydon village' allocation of @25 dwellings on just one site, to the south of Roydon Primary School, pictured left. 

 

Although it nibbled into the remaining green space between Roydon and Diss, residents chose this as the best option on offer. Although narrowed, there will remain a green space between the Roydon and Diss settlement boundaries.

 

If we didn’t choose to allocate within the DDNP, developers would have more of a free hand to propose sites which suited them but not necessarily the community.  In addition, numbers of houses could substantially exceed the current allocation for the village.

 

Local Green Spaces (LGS):

 

Roydon initially proposed 17 LGS and these gained good support from residents.  However, we recognised that this was too long a list to be accepted by the Examiner of the DDNP (a stage that the Plan has yet to go through).  Although we cherish our LGS, whether they be children's play areas or stretches of woodland, we knew we had to reduce the list to those areas that were of especial importance as green spaces and which had least protection and recognition as valued green spaces in the parish.  We have settled on a final list of 8 LGS which we hope everyone will support.

 

Non-designated Heritage Assets (NDHAs):

 

Roydon has several listed buildings, but it also has buildings, features and settings which are special in some way: they have historical and/ or architectural interest, or they are valued by the community as part of the village landscape. 

 

Much investigation and consultation led to our final list of NDHAs.  

 

Key Views:

 

A significant feature of Roydon is its proximity to countryside - the Waveney Valley to the south, open arable farmland to the north and west, a large area of farmed meadowland between Baynards Lane/ Swamp Lane and Snow Street, and the registered, ecologically rich common land of Brewers Green.

​

Our Key Views, supported in the summer 2020 consultation, are views across all of these areas.

 

Ecological Corridors:

 

Recent research has recognised that areas of species-rich land (such as Roydon Fen) are not enough by themselves to begin the process of reversing the present worrying decline in biodiversity across the country. They need to be linked up by a wide network of “ecological corridors” along which lie the varied habitats needed for the movement and spread of plants and all forms of wildlife, especially invertebrates and pollinators.

 

In Roydon we have devised a network that joins together Roydon Fen, Quaker Wood, Brewers Green, Baynards Green and Wortham Ling, and leads out to the adjoining parishes. Some of these routes are maintained for ecological richness by the parish council, for example Roydon Loke, Swamp Lane, the High Road verges opposite the church, and Millway Green (the very wide verge at the south west end of Shelfanger Road) - and we are working towards the improvement of some of the other routes.

 

What influence will the DDNP have?

 

By including all these different aspects within the DDNP, they will be afforded a degree of protection with regard to future development.  The Plan must be, by law, taken into account by higher authorities when considering development issues.

 

The final stage of the Plan will be ratification by the community through a referendum, in which 50% of those who vote need to agree to its contents.  We hope that all residents will see the value of Roydon having the protection of the DDNP and feel able to support the Plan.