A £1.65m roundabout will be built at a crash blackspot, despite opposition from people living nearby, who wanted it built further away from their homes.
Councillors said it was a "miracle" nobody had been killed at the junction of Dereham Road and Hempton Green Road at Hempton, near Fakenham.
They granted approval for the scheme at a meeting of Norfolk County Council's planning committee on Friday (January 27).
The new, four-arm, roundabout will be built north east of the existing Hempton Green Road/Dereham Road Crossroads junction, with the former carriageway converted to common land.
But objectors said the "massive" roundabout would be close to their homes, causing light and noise pollution, while Hempton Parish Council had also objected.
Chris Harding, on behalf of objectors, said: "This is an accident blackspot. The accidents I have seen there are numerous and there's forever blue flashing lights up there.
"Something needs to be done and soon, but not positioning a massive, 30m roundabout on people's doorsteps."
Mr Harding said villagers would rather see a roundabout built further away from homes, which would not cause light and noise pollution.
But Tom Fitzpatrick, Conservative Norfolk county councillor for Fakenham, whose division includes Hempton, said: "Every time there's an accident there, I'm contacted by people saying 'where is our roundabout?'
"It's a miracle nobody has been killed there - there have been several serious accidents.
"I am asking the committee to support this roundabout before someone is killed, because I do not want that on my conscience."
Officers said that, over the past 20 years, there have been 32 crashes at the junction where people have been hurt. Six were serious injuries and 26 were slight injuries.
Rob Colwell, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Gaywood South, has an office near the junction and said: "Safety would far outweigh anything else I have heard today."
During the council's consultation over the plans, government advisor Historic England raised concerns about its impact on the nearby remains of St Stephen's Priory.
But the organisation said, despite the harm it would cause, the highway safety improvements "constitute a high level of public benefit".
Councillors voted for the scheme to go ahead, with eight votes for and one against.
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