People are 'up in arms' about a proposal to build 131 homes in a village near Dereham.

Shipdham residents say, if the scheme goes ahead, it would result in a significant increase in the village's population and put pressure on services.

Orbit Homes is planning a mix of dwellings on the old coal yard and arable land off Chapel Street.

The Central Garage, the former Waggon and Horses and the chip shop would be redeveloped to provide new shops and services.

A leaflet distributed to villagers said: 'The design objectives are to provide a high quality development that responds to the adjacent conservation areas and landscape setting.'

But the scale of the housing has shocked the parish.

Parish council chairman Bill Fawcett said when a different developer proposed 90 homes for the site they agreed, within the local development framework, that it would localise the amount of housing to that area rather than spread it around the village.

'That never got off the ground but this increase from 90 to 131 has surprised everybody,' he said. 'Not only the increase in houses but the increased infrastructure required to cater for them has not been considered.

'People are up in arms about access on the main road – it will exacerbate what is already a dangerous road. The school has 10 or 12 places available, 20 at the most, before it would need to expand significantly. With 131 homes there will be in excess of 20 children wanting to go to the school. The play groups are full to the brim as well.'

Mr Fawcett said the parish council would formalise its concerns once the planning application had been submitted.

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