The Olympic Flame arrives at Lynnsport last year. Football and hockey fields around the site could be used for housing, with picches moved elsewhere.

Hundreds of new houses could be built on part of the Lynnsport site in a £3.5m development which includes a new link road.

Football and hockey pitches around the leisure centre would be relocated and the land used for up to 430 houses.

Details of the scheme are revealed in a report to West Norfolk councillors, asking them to agree to develop the land and contribute £834,000 towards the cost of the scheme.

A new £1.8m access road has also been proposed, linking the Lynnsport site with Edward Benefer Way.

Norfolk County Council is bidding for a share of £170m in government funding, which has been earmarked for road schemes which help ease traffic, to pay for it.

Alistair Beales, West Norfolk’s cabinet member for regeneration, said: “It could make a huge difference to Lynnsport. The facilities are wonderful, but the access isn’t so good.

“It opens up the housing options, so there’s a synergy, there’s a double benefit.”

As well as the two sports pitches, land off Greenpark Avenue would also be developed. A report to Norfolk County Council’s cabinet says between 230 and 430 houses could be built on the site.

It adds the link road would be built along the route of the old railway line, joining Benefer Way near the junction with Hamburg Way.

“The link road potentially has benefits for wider traffic, especially related to the existing housing estates off the A1078,” the report says. “So wider benefits could be demonstrated in a bid.”

A decision on funding for the link road is expected from government within months. If agreed, the borough council will look to progress the planned housing development.