‘Monstrous’ - residents hit out at bid to build more than 100 new homes in small Norfolk village of Fressingfield
Public planning meeting meeting to be called in Fressingfield Picture: SUBMITTED - Credit: Archant
Fears have been raised that a small Norfolk village will not be able to cope with the effects of a housing expansion which a parish council has described as 'monstrous'.
Residents were given the chance to raise their concerns about two planning applications to build more than 100 new homes in Fressingfield, near Diss, which would increase the size of the rural village by more than one-fifth.
One application is for 24 new homes on a site in Post Mill Lane, while another proposes 99 homes on land West of John Shepherd Road in Fressingfield.
Parish councillors said they feared the village of 444 homes would not be able to cope with the increased pressure the new homes would put on services.
It added that it was double the 50 homes it agreed with Mid Suffolk District Council that it could accommodate in December 2015.
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In a statement the parish council said: 'The cumulative effect on all services and facilities seems monstrous, with a severe reduction for all existing villagers and for those who move into the 50 units already agreed.
'All infrastructure improvements lag behind development and in the meantime everyone suffers.'
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NWA Planning, the company behind the John Shepherd Road application, did not wish to comment and La Ronde Wright Ltd, which has applied to build on the site in Post Mill Lane have been approached for a comment but are yet to respond.
A Fressingfield resident who preferred to remain anonymous said: 'It's lovely here, so quiet and tranquil.
'If we have any more houses, we're not going to be a village anymore - we'll become a town.'
'Maybe in another five years we can take more but not now.'
Philip Isabell, from Mid Suffolk District Council's planning department - who attended the meeting on Tuesday, May 30 - said: 'I'd like to thank Fressingfield Parish Council for the invitation.
'While we are unable to comment in depth on live planning applications, I hope the planning information and context we were able to provide was useful and helped residents in responding to the consultation.'
Residents now have until Monday, June 5 to submit comments on the applications.
