Rackheath: Another 300 homes on way for growing village

Developers are looking to build 300 homes on a 44-acre site east of Wroxham Road in Rackheath, an area dubbed Norfolk's "fastest growing village".

The development, which includes 11 acres of commercial units and public green space, has been recommended for approval ahead of a Broadland District Council planning meeting on Tuesday. 

The site could be built on land north of the Rackheath industrial estate (Image: Google Maps) (Image: Google Maps)

The scheme is part of a wider proposal called the Rackheath Masterplan, which will see a further 3,850 homes built across a separate 395-acre site owned by another developer. 

It is expected that the developments will transform the village, bringing significant growth to a community which had a population of 1,972 people in 762 homes at the time of the 2011 census.

The wider scheme is also expected to include a new secondary school, two primary schools and a health and social care facility.

Of the 300 new homes, 99 – 33pc – will be classed as affordable. 

The application does not contain full details for how the development will proceed, with the exact layout of homes and business space due to be clarified in a second ‘reserved matters’ application. 

Endorsing the scheme, planning officials at BDC said: “The site forms part of the land allocated for a mixed-use development at North Rackheath. 

“The application is in outline form only with only access for consideration. It is evident that there are a number of tensions that will need to be resolved at the reserved matters stage when the distribution of the land uses and their layouts are proposed. 

“With this in mind it is considered that, when considered as a whole, the scheme does represent a sustainable development.” 

While the scheme has been recommended for approval, final say-so is expected to be given to the authority’s assistant director of planning subject to several issues being resolved, including an agreement on a development levy.