Questions over homes plans
Fears were raised over the future character of a number of south Norfolk towns and villages this week as councillors questioned plans to build thousands of extra homes.
By ADAMGRETTON
adam.gretton@archant.co.uk
Fears were raised over the future character of a number of south Norfolk towns and villages this week as councillors questioned plans to build thousands of extra homes.
Proposals for 11,000 new houses were rubberstamped by the district council's cabinet last month as part of a scheme to create more than 21,000 dwellings in the greater Norwich area by 2026.
But opposition councillors branded the decision to add an extra 2,000 properties to the area's quota as "inexplicable" on Monday as they called the plans in for review.
Most Read
- 1 'Metal monstrosities' - Opposition to new East Anglia power line grows
- 2 'Like a Halloween scene' - huge caterpillar webs engulf hedges
- 3 As seen on TV: The Norfolk guest house with a spa...in a bank vault!
- 4 WATCH: Inside ex-Aviva office being bought for millions by councils
- 5 Road cleared after severe delays in Diss following vehicle breakdown
- 6 Street food, live music and fireworks planned for Diss Jubilee celebrations
- 7 Obituary: Man behind Norfolk's life-after-death experiment dies aged 78
- 8 Rare 19th century painting discovered in Norfolk home could fetch £50k
- 9 Man admits arsons which killed 50 pigs and caused £680k of damage
- 10 Travel: Stay on the UK's first floating glamping pod...in Beccles
Murray Gray, leader of the South Norfolk Liberal Democrat group, said the north of the district had previously been allocated 9,000 new homes over the next 17 years as part of the Greater Norwich Development Partnership joint strategy. However, an additional 2,000 homes had been accepted by the council's Conservative administration.
A specially convened meeting of South Norfolk Council's scrutiny committee heard that 2,200 new homes were being proposed in Wymondham, 1,800 in Long Stratton, 1,200 in Cringleford, 1,000 in Hethersett, 1,000 in Costessey and Easton, 1,800 on smaller village sites, and 2,000 for a new settlement to the south of the city at Mangreen.
Mr Gray said it seemed "strange" that Norwich's proposed brownfield
Turn to Page 2
