House hunters in Norfolk will be able to customise their new home before it is built as plans are approved for 12 new self-built houses.

Eastern Daily Press: An examaple of how the homes could look. Picture: Leaper Land PromotionsAn examaple of how the homes could look. Picture: Leaper Land Promotions (Image: Archant)

King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council has approved plans for the homes in Ingoldisthorpe, nine miles from King's Lynn.

Ben Marten, from Leaper Land Promotion, applied to allow people to choose a home from a range of possible designs.

The buyer chooses the size and number of windows and selects from three building materials; brick, natural timber and stained timber.

These can be combined in a number of styles.

Of these properties 10 will be self-build homes with the remaining two allocated for affordable housing. These will be acquired by a social housing supplier before choosing how the properties will be built.

The land is formally common grazing. Because of this 50pc of it will remain open space with a pond, which is already at the site.

Ingoldisthorpe Parish Council objected to the development, saying: 'Feedback from parishioners received at the parish council meeting on January 2 along with discussion between the councillors was unanimous in that the proposal will have an adverse impact on the character and residential amenity of Ingoldisthorpe.'

Further objections were raised at the planning committee meeting at King's Lynn Town Hall, with members of the public concerned for the wildlife around the pond. Because of these concerns the council passed the plans with two conditions.

They said a willow that is currently in the pond should remain and the grounds should be kept in a good condition by the developer.

Because the homes are built after a buyer has been found and a design created, councillors raised the issue of when the social housing would be built.

Leaper Land Promotions told the committee that the standard protocol was that once 50pc of the homes were built, in this case six, no more work could be done until the affordable houses were completed.

An outline application to develop the site was won on appeal in 2015.

Councillors were recommended to approve the scheme and approved the plans nine in favour to six objecting.