Description

The Angela Davis depot is located at the southern end of Somerleyton Road and is currently used by the Council to maintain and clean refuse trucks.

Issues

1) Existing use

Whilst the depot provides a necessary service, its location next to residential homes is not ideal and the current use does not fit with the overall vision for Somerleyton Road.

2) Negative impact on Somerleyton Passage

The design of the hangers has a negative impact on Somerleyton Passage – it is a blank wall which does not provide any natural surveillance and contributes to the lack of safety people feel as they pass through the Passage.

3) Relocating the depot

The depot is willing to move as long as a suitable alternative location can be found and the moving costs are covered by the Somerleyton Road project. If the Council can find a suitable, alternative location for the depot then the land would be freed up and the site could be used for new housing.

If the Council is unable to find a suitable, alternative location for the depot then either the depot remains as it is or we explore an option to build a new depot with housing above it.

There are concerns over the quality of life for residents if housing is built over a depot and people did suggest it might be more suitable for student housing.

4) Building heights

Initially the proposal assumed that the depot would remain and therefore the idea was to have two storeys of new depot space with five storeys of residential above – resulting in a seven storey building. Following the project workshop it was felt that the seven storeys were potentially too high and so a further option now shows the area without the depot but with five storeys of residential.

We could consider increasing the height of the housing if it could be designed well and mitigate any negative impacts on neighbouring properties. A daylight / sunlight test should be run to see the impact of both five storey and seven storey buildings on surrounding homes.

5) Housing

The outline scheme demonstrates that it is possible to build 80 new homes on the Angela Davis site if we go to five storeys of residential.

Current thinking

Council’s preferred option: 5 storey residential

Counter proposal: 2 storey depot plus 5 storey residential

This option was discussed for the eventuality where the Council is unable to relocate the Angela Davis depot.