Bawburgh Village
Bawburgh is a significant location in the legend of St Walstan, the 10th-11th century patron saint of farm labourers. According to legend, Walstan was born at Bawburgh (or possibly Blythburgh in Suffolk) into a Saxon noble family circa 970, but at the age of 12 gave up his privileged life, choosing instead to work as a farm labourer in Taverham. His initial journey on foot from Bawburgh to Taverham took Walstan through Costessey, where he donated his noble garments to two passing peasants. After many years, Walstan's imminent death was foretold by an angel and he asked a priest for the last rites; no water was available but a miraculous spring welled up on the spot. On his death, Walstan's body was returned to Bawburgh on a cart drawn by two white oxen. The oxen stopped at Costessey, where a second spring gushed forth and at Bawburgh, where a third spring appeared. St Walstan's Well at Bawburgh is the only one of the legendary springs that remains identifiable. Walstan's body was taken into the church and Bawburgh became the centre of a cult of pilgrimage, with several miracles recorded.
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For details on the current Bawburgh Village please see
http://www.bawburghvillage.co.uk/
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South Norfolk Council is carrying out a Focused Regulation 18 Consultation on Alternative Sites and Focused Changes for the Draft Village Clusters Housing Allocations Plan (VCHAP) between 9:00am on Monday 11 December 2023 and 5:00pm on Monday 5 February 2024. The consultation is in accordance with Regulation 18 of the Town & Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.
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This consultation follows a review of representations submitted in response to the Publication stage of the Plan (Regulation 19), held between 23 January and 8 March 2023, which determined that one of the proposed sites is no longer deliverable (VC ROC2 in Rockland St Mary) and that another site should be slightly reduced in numbers to address heritage concerns (VC TAS1 in Tasburgh). As a minimum, this consultation on alternative sites and focused changes seeks to make up the resulting shortfall in order to deliver the housing numbers needed.
The proposed VCHAP will allocate sufficient sites for housing in South Norfolk's villages, which will deliver the bulk of the approximately 1,200 new homes that are to be delivered in the district's Village Clusters by 2038. Once adopted, the VCHAP will become part of the Development Plan for South Norfolk.
You can view the consultation material at the following locations:
· Online at - www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/vchap
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South Norfolk Council offices – Horizon Centre, Broadland Business Park, Peachman Way, Norwich, NR7 0WF (open Mon-Fri: 8.30am-5pm)
· The Octagon – Mere Street, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4AH (open Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm)
· The following libraries –
o Hethersett
o Millennium Library, Norwich
o Loddon
o Poringland
o Long Stratton
o Wymondham
Please visit the Norfolk County Council website for details of your local branch (www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries-local-history-and-archives)
Anyone wishing to submit a consultation response may do so before 5.00pm on Monday 5 February 2024. These can be submitted online, via the website listed above, or using one of our hard copy representation forms which are available at the locations listed above. Completed hard copy forms should be posted to the Place Shaping Team at the South Norfolk Council office address listed above.
Further background and supporting material relating to the VCHAP is also available through our Virtual Exhibition, from where you can also comment on the consultation, which can be accessed at https://vchap.exhibition.app.
For further information and enquiries, please contact the Council's Place Shaping Team on (01508) 533805 or at localplan.snc@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk.