A dozen potential new sites for gypsies and travellers have been revealed, as councils look to unlock housebuilding around Norwich.  

Ten favoured sites as well as two backup areas have been put forward in the city and surrounding areas. 

The sites need to be found before the Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP) can be approved by the government’s Planning Inspectorate. The GNLP is a blueprint for where 50,000 new homes could be built in Norwich, South Norfolk and Broadland by 2038. 

Travellers' sites are broken up into pitches for each family, with at least 53 spaces needed. 

The proposed sites are:  

  • Buxton Road, Cawston – four pitches 
  • Wymondham Recycling Centre, Strayground Lane – two pitches 
  • Hockering Lane, Bawburgh – six pitches 
  • A47 North Burlingham Junction – 15 pitches 
  • Land north of Shortthorn Road, Stratton Strawless – four pitches 
  • Romany Meadow, The Turnpike, Carleton Rode – six pitches  
  • Old Produce Should, Holt Road, Horsford – six pitches 
  • The Oaks, south-east of Letter Box Cottage, Reepham Road, Foulsham – 10 pitches 
  • Land off Strayground Lane, Wymondham – 10 
  • Upgate Street, Carleton Rode – four pitches 

Land at Ketteringham Depot has also been proposed as a “reasonable alternative” site, with 10 possible pitches. It has not been classed as a favoured site due to concerns over accessibility. 

Land off Bawburgh Lane, north of New Road and east of the A47 has also been proposed as a contingency site, with space for 18 pitches. However, it can only be brought forward if housing development on the wider site goes forward. 

Three sites, two in Denton and one on London Road, Wymondham, were proposed through the South Norfolk Village Clusters Plan. These have been assessed as “unreasonable”.  

Public consultation for the sites is expected to take place between January 30 and March 13. 

A minimum of 31 pitches are needed within the initial 5-year period of the GNLP up to March 2027. 

The consultation proposal will go before Broadland District Council’s cabinet on Tuesday. 

Three locations were previously identified - in Cawston, Costessey and Wymondham - but these were rejected by South Norfolk Council (SNC). 

In July 2022, John Fuller, the SNC leader, condemned the process of selecting sites as "clearly unreasonable".