Planning - Food Enterprise ParkFood Enterprise Park

Food Enterprise Zones (FEZ) are a government initiative introduced by the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The Greater Norwich FEZ was designated in 2015, and a Local Development Order (LDO) put in place by Broadland District Council in 2017 in respect of Phase 1, and by South Norfolk District Council in 2025 in respect of Phase 2.

Food Enterprise Zones:

Enhance rural development through the growth of food businesses in a particular location.
Encourage greater collaboration between food and farming businesses, and encourage links to research and education institutions, to develop the domestic food and farming sector.
Attract inward investment to the region.
Allow Local Development Orders to be put in place which provides planning permission for specific classes of development and speeds up the planning process, allowing qualifying users to make an immediate start on site.

Any uses proposed will be closely and directly linked to food production and agriculture and the following are specifically listed in the LDO:

Agri-tech businesses which make use of the local agri-science base.
Processing of agricultural produce.
Manufacture of food products.
Storage and distribution of agricultural produce, products, equipment, machinery and supplies.
Food technology companies.
Manufacture of specialist food-relating supplies (e.g. food packaging).
Haulage services related to the above storage and distribution.

An element of other development which is ancillary, complementary and subsidiary to the above is also permitted.

To help with space calculations, the LDO suggests a maximum ratio of buildings to plot area of 40%. This would allow circa 17,500 sq. ft (1,625 sq m) of building per 1 acre of plot size.

Full copies of the Broadland District Council and South Norfolk District Council LDO’s can be accessed here