Annual Growth Programme 2025/26
Greater Norwich Growth Board
Introduction
The Greater Norwich Growth Board (GNGB) is a partnership that is unlike any other in the UK. Norwich City, South Norfolk District, Broadland District and Norfolk County Councils form the GNGB. They have chosen to work together to accelerate the delivery of infrastructure within the joint Greater Norwich area, because they recognise the benefits that can be achieved by looking beyond their individual administrative boundaries.
To support the delivery of infrastructure, the partners pool their income received from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) into one Infrastructure Investment Fund (IIF).
Since their establishment in 2014, the GNGB has allocated just under £46m of funding and £54.5m of CIL supported borrowing, which has levered in at least an additional £305m to deliver infrastructure projects within the Greater Norwich area.
Each year the GNGB has responsibility for assembling a new list of projects which are allocated funding from the IIF. These projects are known as the Annual Growth Programme (AGP)
Approval
The projects forming the AGP are drawn from the Joint Five-Year Infrastructure Investment Plan . This Plan aligns the new AGP against the existing IIF financial commitments and forecasted CIL income until 2029/30. It forms the evidence base which supports the partner authorities' decision-making to make new allocations from the IIF on an annual basis.
On 28 November 2024 the GNGB recommended the approval of the draft 5YIIP 2025-30.
The 5YIIP was then agreed at the individual district cabinet meetings on the below dates:
- Wednesday 05 February 2025 - Norwich City Council
- Monday 10 February 2025 - South Norfolk District Council
- Tuesday 11 February 2025 - Broadland District Council
The AGP will also be reported to Norfolk County Council as the GNGB’s accountable body.
Delivery and Monitoring
The projects included in the AGP will be added to the Greater Norwich Growth Programme. To date, 115 projects have been accepted into the programme and allocated funding from the IIF.
Monitoring the delivery of the Greater Norwich Growth Programme is the responsibility of the Greater Norwich Infrastructure Delivery Board (IDB). Project promoters provide quarterly highlight reports as part of their monitoring and reporting requirements of the fund. This also allows the IDB to consider any in year changes.
The IDB report progress on programme delivery (and exception reports if required) to the GNGB.
Annual Growth Programme 2025/26
In accordance with the agreed processes for the IIF, the IDB met on 5 September 2024 to agree which projects to put forward as the 2025/26 AGP. 14 new projects totalling £5,662,653 have been identified to be supported by the IIF and are listed below. A full list of projects in the IIF is available under The Full Programme.
No new allocation is being sought for Norfolk County Council’s (NCC) own education projects this year, instead £1.5 million of the allocation they have not claimed is allocated to the School of Oral Health. This project is being delivered by the University of East Anglia with NCC acting as their sponsoring authority.
The below table shows the distribution of new AGP Projects across Greater Norwich.
Project Name | Applicant | Amount of CIL Requested | Total Project Size |
|---|---|---|---|
Sweet Briar Marshes | Norwich | £546,116 | £1,915,471 |
Wherryman’s Way: Bramerton Improvements | County | £221,962 | £302,272 |
Broadland Country Park Café & Visitor Centre | Broadland | £871,210 | £1,639,958 |
Rothbury Park | South Norfolk | £144,449 | £184,449 |
Buckenham Ancient Woodland | Broadland | £104,095 | £169,143 |
Lion Wood | Norwich | £448,820 | £569,301 |
Diss Leisure & Public Realm | South Norfolk | £1,100,000 | £6,198,000 |
7 Library Improvement Projects | County | £476,000 | £575,000 |
Wymondham Baptist Community Space | South Norfolk | £250,000 | £577,712 |
School of Oral Health | County | £1,500,000 | £10,300,000 |
Total | N/A | £5,662,653 | £22,431,307 |
Annual Growth Programme Projects 2025/26
Other Commitments
£123,000 will be allocated as a programme management fee. This will supplement the cost of the Greater Norwich Project Team, who manage all funding streams within the IIF and are instrumental in driving forward the provision of infrastructure across the Greater Norwich area.
A £1m allocation is being made to reserves to support the Long Stratton Bypass loan repayments. It was agreed by each partner s151 officer that a reserve equal to one annual loan repayment was required to be kept in reserves as a safeguard. For full details regarding the City Deal loans, please see the Joint Five-Year Infrastructure Investment Plan .
Over £5m from the IIF is committed to projects that have a delivery programme spanning multiple years which stretch beyond 25/26, some of which were agreed in previous AGPs.
Explore the current projects from this year's Annual Growth Programme in the interactive map tour below. Simply scroll through the projects to see their location and a brief description. Click on an image for a larger view.
01 / 16
1
Sweetbriar Marshes
The Sweetbriar Marshes project (Project No: 102) falls within the Green Infrastructure theme, and is led by Norwich City Council. This project will deliver new access infrastructure at Sweet Briar Marshes, based in the northwest of Norwich beside the River Wensum. Works will include an accessible entrance to Sweet Briar Marshes, a new direct route connecting Burnet Road, Marriott's Way and the entrance to Sweet Briar Marshes, a new accessible route across Mile Cross Marsh connecting the Riverside Walk to the existing eastern entrance of Sweet Briar Marshes and to Marriott’s Way, accessible parking and a changing places toilet facilities to enable educational visits.
This project has a budget of £1,915,471 with £546,116 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
2
Wherryman’s Way: Bramerton Improvements
The Wherryman’s Way: Bramerton Improvements project (Project No: 103) falls within the Green Infrastructure theme, and is led by Norfolk County Council.
This project will deliver access improvements to a section of the Wherryman's Way 38-mile trail, which links Norwich City Centre to Great Yarmouth. Works will include nature and access-friendly riverbank restoration, footpath improvements, installation of a new bridge, ecological enhancements and installation of new accessible interpretation boards and waymarking signs.
This project has a budget of £302,272 with £221,962 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
3
Broadland Country Park Café & Visitor Centre
The Broadland Country Park Café & Visitor Centre project (Project No: 104) falls within the Green Infrastructure theme, and is led by Broadland District Council.
This project will deliver a new visitor centre at Broadland Country Park in Horsford. Works will include a new visitor centre with a café, toilets, and indoor seating areas, as well as enhanced parking facilities with EV charging, a highway crossing and an interconnecting Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Compliant footpath. These developments are designed to elevate the park’s appeal as a key outdoor destination and country park, making it more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
This project has a budget of £1,639,958 with £871,210 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
4
Rothbury Park
The Rothbury Park project (Project No: 105) falls within the Green Infrastructure theme, and is led by South Norfolk Council.
This project will deliver a range of improvements at Rothbury Park in Wymondham. Works will include two new paths linking the north and south entrances, accessible mounding and new play equipment, a new seating area and litter bins, cycle stands and fold-down bollards and natural and native planting.
This project has a budget of £184,449 with £144,449 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
5
Buckenham Ancient Woodland
The Buckenham Ancient Woodland project (Project No: 106) falls within the Green Infrastructure theme, and is led by Broadland District Council.
This project will deliver a range of improvements at Buckenham Wood in Strumpshaw, with the ambition of restoring, enhancing, and conserving the integrity of the ancient woodland. Works will include rationalising, restoring, and monitoring the footpath network, installing fencing and gates where appropriate to access and manage newly acquired land, installation of cycle stands, benches and interpretation boards.
This project has a budget of £169,143 with £104,095 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
6
Lion Wood
The Lion Wood project (Project No: 107) falls within the Green Infrastructure theme, and is led by Norwich City Council.
This project will deliver a range of improvements at Lion Wood on the wooded ridge in Thorpe Hamlet. Works will include a new hard surface path connecting Wellesley Avenue North and Wellesley Avenue South, localised surface improvements, entrance improvements to reduce access restrictions, biodiversity improvements with opportunities for natural play and installation of interpretation boards.
This project has a budget of £569,301 with £448,820 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
7
Diss Leisure & Public Realm
The Diss Leisure & Public Realm project (Project No: 108) falls within the Communities theme, and is led by South Norfolk Council.
This project will deliver a new, two-storey dry-side leisure facility and public realm improvements on the old John Grose site, south of Diss Mere. The facility will include a 55-station gym, multi-use studio, and spin studio with supporting facilities, as well as a café and car parking. In addition, works will be undertaken to enhance the surrounding area to create a European-style public plaza overlooking Diss Mere.
This project has a budget of £6,198,000 with £1,100,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
8
Aylsham Library Improvements
The Aylsham Library Improvements project (Project No: 109) falls within the Communities theme, and is led by Norfolk County Council.
This project will deliver an accessible public toilet with baby changing, and new staff facilities at Aylsham Library through the reconfiguration of the internal library space. The remodelling will increase the overall size of the library area by 20m² and create a more coherent layout.
This project has a budget of £130,000 with £110,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
9
Long Stratton Library Improvements
The Long Stratton Library Improvements project (Project No: 110) falls within the Communities theme, and is led by Norfolk County Council.
This project will deliver an accessible public toilet with baby changing facilities at Long Stratton Library, through reconfiguration of the internal library space.
This project has a budget of £65,000 with £55,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
10
Diss Library Improvements
The Diss Library Improvements project (Project No: 111) falls within the Communities theme, and is led by Norfolk County Council.
This project will deliver an accessible public toilet with baby changing facilities at Diss Library, through a small extension and reconfiguration of the internal library space.
This project has a budget of £115,000 with £100,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
11
Hethersett Library Improvements
The Hethersett Library Improvements project (Project No: 112) falls within the Communities theme, and is led by Norfolk County Council.
This project will deliver an extension at Hethersett Library, which in addition to reconfiguration works will result in a new accessible entrance and meeting room that can be used by local organisations and community groups.
This project has a budget of £160,000 with £121,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
12
Urban Area Library Improvements - Earlham
The Urban Area Library Improvements project (Project No: 113) falls within the Communities theme, and is led by Norfolk County Council.
This project will deliver accessible public toilets with baby changing facilities at Sprowston, Earlham, and St Williams Way Libraries, through internal remodelling of the existing buildings.
This project has a budget of £105,000 with £90,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
13
Urban Area Library Improvements - St Williams Way
The Urban Area Library Improvements project (Project No: 113) falls within the Communities theme, and is led by Norfolk County Council.
This project will deliver accessible public toilets with baby changing facilities at Sprowston, Earlham, and St Williams Way Libraries, through internal remodelling of the existing buildings.
This project has a budget of £105,000 with £90,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
14
Urban Area Library Improvements - Sprowston
The Urban Area Library Improvements project (Project No: 113) falls within the Communities theme, and is led by Norfolk County Council.
This project will deliver accessible public toilets with baby changing facilities at Sprowston, Earlham, and St Williams Way Libraries, through internal remodelling of the existing buildings.
This project has a budget of £105,000 with £90,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
15
Wymondham Baptist Community Space
The Wymondham Baptist Community Space project (Project No: 114) falls within the Communities theme, and is led by South Norfolk Council.
This project will deliver a 128-square-metre extension to Wymondham Baptist Church. As a result of this project the extension will create a community space which is accessible to all, providing a much-needed base for a range of community services to operate from.
This project has a budget of £577,712 with £250,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
16
School of Oral Health
The School of Oral Health project (Project No: 115) falls within the Education theme, and is led by Norfolk County Council.
This project will deliver a two-storey extension to the Edith Cavell Building on the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Campus, UEA. This will be delivered in three phases, with the IIF funding phase two. Phase Two will deliver the second storey of the extension, which will be home to UEA’s new School of Oral Health. This extension will provide a space for 8 dentist chairs, clinical grade fittings and other specialist teaching infrastructure such as phantom heads, teaching laboratory and seminar room space. This will provide the initial capacity required for courses in Dentistry starting in 2026 with 40 undergraduate students per year.
This project has a budget of £10,300,000 with £1,500,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
Completed Projects
A total of 8 Growth Programme Projects completed in 2024/25. These projects had a combined funding value of £4,060,726 from the IIF. The total combined budget of these projects was £15,454,186.
Use the map below to explore the projects which completed this financial year.
01 / 08
1
GP051 - Green Infrastructure: Access for All
The Green Infrastructure: Access for All project (Project No: 051) falls within the Green Infrastructure theme, and is led by Norfolk County Council.
A number of green infrastructure trails across the Greater Norwich area have been audited for accessibility, identifying the improvement works necessary to better support a wider range of users. This project implemented a range of smaller scale accessibility improvements across various projects and areas. £30,000 was allocated each year for five years with different project areas being delivered each year.
This project had a budget of £150,000, all of which was received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
2
GP062 – Cringleford Prep School
The Cringleford Prep School project (Project No: 062) falls within the Education theme, and is led by Norfolk County Council.
This project delivered a two-form entry (420 place), two-storey primary school in Cringleford. The school has 14 classrooms, including a dedicated external area for reception pupils, library space, main and studio halls, kitchen, and associated toilet and administration areas. Works also included provision for 59 onsite staff parking spaces, covered cycle and scooter parking.
This project had a budget of £10,427,864 with £2,000,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
3
GP063 – Broadland Country Park
The Broadland Country Park project (Project No: 063) falls within the Green Infrastructure theme, and is led by Broadland District Council.
Broadland Country Park (BCP) was purchased with IIF funding by Broadland District Council in 2019. Ideally located adjacent to the Broadland Northway, the Thorpe Marriott Greenway cycle and pedestrian route, and the purple and yellow bus routes, BCP helps to manoeuvre the Greater Norwich area into a strong position in which to deliver sustainable, well-planned communities by enabling a mitigation strategy that alleviates the impact of growth on the internationally designated sites in Norfolk.
This project had a budget of £1,265,000 with £719,290 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
4
GP076 – Brundall Sports Hub
The Brundall Sports Hub project (Project No: 076) falls within the Communities theme, and is led by Broadland District Council.
This project delivered phase one of Brundall Sports Hub. Works included a multi-sport floodlit 3G pitch with fencing, floodlighting, a maintenance storage container, hard standing pathways, car parking and a single-storey club house/changing room building.
This project had a budget of £2,268,542 with £460,573 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
5
GP077 – Bure Valley Path
The Bure Valley Path project (Project No: 077) falls within the Green Infrastructure theme, and is led by Broadland District Council.
This project delivered a broad range of improvements to the Bure Valley Path and the surrounding area. Works included creating five new circular walks totalling 23.8 km (or 14.8 miles) at Oxnead, Buxton, Coltishall, Belaugh & Hoveton and installing 33 fingerposts, 10-way marker posts, 40 walk discs and 17 Circular Walk Information Boards at various locations along the route including in Oxnead, Buxton, Little Hautbois, Coltishall, and Belaugh. The scheme also included undertaking habitat creation at selected locations.
This project had a budget of £25,163, all of which was received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
6
GP078 – Kett’s Heights
The Kett’s Heights project (Project No: 078) falls within the Green Infrastructure theme, and is led by Norwich City Council.
This project delivered a range of improvements to Kett's Heights in Norwich. Works included improving access with new steps from Kett’s Hill and a new ramped access from Ladbrooke Place; repairs to the walls and infrastructure of the site, ensuring their preservation and safety of users of the site; and creation of new habitat and improvements to existing habitat, to increase biodiversity.
This project had a budget of £326,801 with £312,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
7
GP082 – Broadland Country Park - Horsford Crossing
The Broadland Country Park - Horsford Crossing project (Project No: 082) falls within the Transport theme, and is led by Broadland District Council.
This project sought to encourage green transport options for accessing Broadland Country Park (BCP). Works included a road crossing refuge island on the B1149 Holt Road at Horsford, to cater for both pedestrians and cyclists entering Broadland Country Park; and installation of a new ‘welcome’ sign, directional signage and cycle racks at BCP, Sandy Lane entrance.
This project had a budget of £174,000 with £143,700 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
8
GP091 – Youngs Park Aylsham AGP
The Youngs Park Aylsham AGP project (Project No: 091) falls within the Communities theme, and is led by Broadland District Council.
This project at Youngs Park in Aylsham delivered a full-sized 3G artificial grass pitch, replacing an existing full-sized natural turf pitch. Its delivery contributes towards a variety of outcomes identified within Norfolk County Council’s Together for Norfolk business plan, Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy, the FA’s National Football Facility Strategy, Aylsham Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Plan and the Greater Norwich Physical Activity and Sport Strategy (PASS) and associated updated Playing Pitch Strategy.
This project had a budget of £816,816 with £250,000 being received from the Community Infrastructure Levy.
The Full Greater Norwich Growth Programme
Click the map below to interact with and see all projects that have been funded by the IIF, which is known as the Full Greater Norwich Growth Programme. The map can be opened in a separate window using the button below, which will enable filtering and searching. Details regarding finance and current delivery are included within the joint Five-year Infrastructure Investment Plan.
Greater Norwich Growth Board Annual Growth Programme Web Map
Projects year by year
The below provides details of each project that has received funding from the IIF, grouped by the year they were agreed.
2025/26
GP102 Sweetbriar Marshes - Norwich City Council GP103 Wherryman’s Way: Bramerton Improvements - Norfolk County Council GP104 Broadland Country Park Café & Visitor Centre - Broadland District Council GP105 Rothbury Park - South Norfolk Council GP106 Buckenham Ancient Woodland - Broadland District Council GP107 Lion Wood - Norwich City Council GP108 Diss Leisure & Public Realm - South Norfolk Council GP109 Aylsham Library Improvements - Norfolk County Council GP110 Long Stratton Library Improvements - Norfolk County Council GP111 Diss Library Improvements - Norfolk County Council GP112 Hethersett Library Improvements - Norfolk County Council GP113 Urban Area Library Improvements - Earlham, St Williams Way, Sprowston - Norfolk County Council GP114 Wymondham Baptist Community Space - South Norfolk Council GP115 School of Oral Health - Norfolk County Council
2024/25
GP088b Wymondham High Academy - Norfolk County Council GP098 Aylsham Gym & Fitness Hub - Broadland District Council GP099 Eaton Park - Norwich City Council GP100 Plumstead Road Library - Norfolk County Council
2023/24
GP088a Wymondham High Academy - Norfolk County Council GP089 Sloughbottom Park Regeneration - Norwich City Council GP090 Easton Village Hall - South Norfolk Council GP091 Youngs Park Aylsham AGP - Broadland District Council GP092 Queens Hill Community Park - South Norfolk Council GP093 Cringleford Country Park - South Norfolk Council GP094 Venta Icenorum - South Norfolk Council GP095 Hethersett to NRP Cycle Route - Norfolk County Council GP097 Hethel Technology Park - South Norfolk Council
2022/23
GP080 Yellow Pedalway Extension - Norfolk County Council GP082 Broadland Country Park Horsford Crossing - Broadland District Council GP083 Wherryman's Way Access Improvements - Norfolk County Council GP085 FDC Heartsease Open Academy - Norwich City Council GP086 Yare Boat Club - Broadland District Council
2021/22
GP076 Brundall Sports Hub - Broadland District Council GP077 Bure Valley Path - Norfolk County Council GP078 Kett's Heights - Norwich City Council GP079 FDC Bowthorpe - 3G Pitch - Norwich City Council
2020/21
GP063 Broadland Country Park - Broadland District Council GP064 Hellesdon Station Green Infrastructure - Norwich City Council GP065 East Wymondham Green Infrastructure - South Norfolk Council GP066 20 Acre Wood Community Access Improvements - Norwich City Council GP067 Kett's Country Long Distance Trail - Norfolk County Council GP068 Frenze Beck Green Infrastructure - South Norfolk Council GP069 Aylsham Sports Hub Stage 3 - Broadland District Council GP070 Wymondham Tennis Club - South Norfolk Council GP071 Crusaders Rugby Football Club - South Norfolk Council GP072 Recreation Road Swimming Pool - Norwich City Council GP073 Norwich Parks Tennis - Norwich City Council GP074 Plumstead Road Roundabout - Broadland District Council GP075 Ormiston Victory Academy - Norfolk County Council
2019/20
GP062 Cringleford Primary School - Norfolk County Council
2018/19
GP045 Green Pedalway Junction Improvements - Norwich City Council GP046b Marriott's Way Ramp & Resurfacing - Norfolk County Council GP047 UEA to Eaton Boardwalk - Norwich City Council GP048 Wherryman's Way - Yare Valley Cycle Route - South Norfolk Council GP049 Earlham Millennium Green (EMG) Phase 3 - Norwich City Council GP050 Yare and Wensum Valley Link - Norwich City Council GP051 Green Infrastructure: Access for All - Norfolk County Council GP052 Thorpe Marriott Greenway - Broadland District Council GP055 Community Sports Hub - The Nest, Horsford - Broadland District Council GP056 Harleston Library - self-access improvements - Norfolk County Council GP057 Costessey Library - self-access improvements - Norfolk County Council GP058 Loddon Library - self-access improvements - Norfolk County Council GP059 Earlham Library - self-access improvements - Norfolk County Council GP060 Mile Cross Library - self-access improvements - Norfolk County Council GP061 Brundall Primary and Blofield - Norfolk County Council
2017/18
GP027 Lizard and Silfield Nature Reserves - South Norfolk Council GP029 Barn Road Gateway - Norfolk County Council GP030 Marriott's Way: Sloughbottom Park - Andersons Meadow - Norfolk County Council GP031 Riverside Walk accessibility improvements - Norwich City Council GP033 Strumpshaw Pit Circular Walk - Broadland District Council GP036 Castle Gardens - Norwich City Council GP037 Long Stratton Sports Hub - South Norfolk Council GP038 Football pitch improvements - Norwich City Council GP039 Hales cricket and bowls clubhouse improvements - South Norfolk Council GP040 Kett's Park Sports Hub - South Norfolk Council GP041 Wroxham Library: self-access improvements - Norfolk County Council GP042 Plumstead Road Library: self-access improvements - Norfolk County Council GP043 Diss Library: self-access improvements - Norfolk County Council GP044 Hethersett Academy - Norfolk County Council
2016/17
GP019 St Faiths Road to Airport Transport Link - Broadland District Council GP022 Heathgate - Pink Pedalway - Norwich City Council GP023 Carrow to Deal Ground riverside walk - Norwich City Council GP024 Colney River Crossing (NRP to Threescore) - Norwich City Council GP025 Northern Distributor Road - Broadland Northway - Norfolk County Council GP026 Long Stratton Bypass - Norfolk County Council GP026b Hempnall Crossroads - Norfolk County Council
2015/16
GP008 Earlham Millennium Green Phase 2 - Norwich City Council GP009 Marriott's Way Phase 2 - Norfolk County Council GP011 St Clements Toucan Crossing - Norfolk County Council GP013 Eaton Interchange - Norfolk County Council GP013b Roundhouse Way - Norfolk County Council GP016 Golden Ball Street - Norfolk County Council GP017b A140 Corridor - Norfolk County Council
2014/15
GP001 Harrisons' Wood - Broadland District Council GP002 Danby Wood - Norwich City Council GP003 Marsden Marsh - Norwich City Council GP004 Earlham Millennium Green (EMG) Phase 1 - Norwich City Council GP005 Riverside Way - Oasis - Norwich City Council GP006 Marriott's Way Phase 1 - Norfolk County Council GP007 Norwich Health Walks - South Norfolk Council