The inquiry at the Costessey Centre will now restart a week on Wednesday following the delay.

A planning inquiry into a developer’s bid to build 70 new homes in Costessey opened this morning.

Around 200 people packed into the Costessey Centre in Longwater Lane to hear the opening exchanges between the developers and South Norfolk Council.

Green and Norwich Consolidated Charities, who want to build the homes off Townhouse Road, had an application rejected last year by the council’s planning committee.

They have now taken their case to the planning inspector who will hear the case for and against the development this week.

Trevor Ivory from Howes Percival solicitors, who are representing the applicants, said he would aim to show the reasons for refusal were “wholly without merit”.

They included the site being too far from services and the development intruding on the Tud river valley.

He said there was an “urgent need” for new homes, and the council had failed to meet the five-year land supply targets stipulated by the government.

At the moment there is land for three years of development, meaning there should be a “presumption in favour of development”, according to planning rules.

But barrister Harriet Townsend, representing the council, said that did not mean the application should be granted without careful consideration.

She added the council was making progress to meet the five-year target.

Costessey Parish Council and the Townhouse Road Action group will also speak against the development.

Duncan Lister from the group said the plans had provoked a “very strong emotional response” in Costessey.

•For the full story see tomorrow’s Evening News.