A housing giant is canvassing views on potentially turning part of a river valley into a site for hundreds of new homes.

Taylor Wimpey wants to find out what Costessey Town Council, other organisations and residents think about potential plans to build up to 230 homes on 15 hectares of land south of Townhouse Road in Costessey in the River Tud valley.

The basic document does not guarantee the homes will be built but South Norfolk Council could adopt an EIA screening report for the proposal which could lead to an outline application.

Town council chairman Patrick O'Connor said: 'It could have a huge impact on Costessey and the environment because the development would take away a huge amount from a pretty valley.'

He added services in the Norwich suburb, including education, doctor's surgeries and transport, were already under strain.

'We have already got thousands of houses going up in the area and this potential new development would be too much.

'There are some places in Costessey that have been earmarked for development. We are not Nimbys. We are not against development in Costessey - although we feel the area has had its fair share,' Mr O'Connor said.

The identified area for the 230 homes is currently part arable farmland and part pasture.

It sits between Myrtle Avenue and Lime Tree Avenue, is behind Our Lady and St Walstan's Catholic Church and is out of Costessey's development area.

In just over 20 years 2,352 new homes have been built in New and Old Costessey.

On the Queen's Hills development, 1,524 out of 1,881 houses have been built.

Just over 500 homes have been completed on the Lodge Farm development next to Dereham Road, which will have an extra 484 more homes once construction has finished.

Some 62 homes are being built on Townhouse Road and an application for 83 homes on Farmland Road, close to the River Tud, is yet to be decided.

Part of the Taylor Wimpey report concluded: 'The development is not located in an environmentally sensitive location and the development would not pose any unusually complex or hazardous effects...The proposals would not have a significant urbanising effect upon the area.'