Norwich City Council agrees delay on Trowse 670-home plans

The May Gurney and Deal Ground site, in Trowse, is an abandoned and disused former industrial site with dilapidated buildings.

In 2013 Serruys Property Company (SPC), based in Lenwade, received outline planning permission for up to 670 homes on the site, from South Norfolk Council and Norwich City Council.

The company submitted its designs to the councils at the end of February 2023 and revealed final plans as part of a public consultation in June 2023.

While the hope was that construction could start this year, final plans are still to be lodged and today's deadline has been pushed back, after an agreement was reached between the city council and Maddox Planning.

Council planning officers have agreed to put a hold on the application, until the end of July, given the lack of progress in identifying nutrient neutrality credits to comply with Natural England requirements to protect waterways.

The long empty May Gurney and Deal Ground site, in Trowse, is looking to have 670 homes built on it (Image: Newsquest)

A Norwich City Council spokesman confirmed: "This is part of the wider regeneration of east Norwich, a hugely important project for the city and eastern region.

"We're continuing to work closely with the developer of the May Gurney and Deal Ground sites to resolve some outstanding technical issues with their planning application."

NCC said it's looking to resolve some outstanding technical issues with the planning application (Image: Stolon Studio)

Serruys Property Company declined to comment.

The Deal Ground and May Gurney plots are a key part of the East Norwich Masterplan which would see approximately 4,000 homes built in four key areas, including Carrow Works and the Utilities site between Thorpe Hamlet and Whitlingham.

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The works have proved to be controversial with people living in the area - with many raising concerns about traffic and flooding.

The fire-damaged building on the former May Gurney site in Trowse (Image: Supplied)

The developer, SPC, was investigated for drastic tree felling on the site by the Forestry Commission and ordered to re-plant 300 trees after not receiving permission for the clearance.

There was also a fire in a disused building in July 2023 which sparked an arson investigation, for which a teenager remains on bail.