Every year hundreds of planning applications are submitted to councils in Norfolk, with some causing considerable upset in the community.
Here are seven schemes which have drawn ire in 2023.
Anglia Square
The redevelopment of the eyesore shopping centre in Norwich was finally approved by Norwich City Council earlier this year but remains a controversial development.
Councillors spent eight hours debating the application, which was approved eight votes to five with several community groups stating their disapproval.
Since the scheme was signed-off the decision to spare the developer behind the site, Weston Homes, a £2.3m tax intended for community projects has drawn considerable ire from opposition councillors and the public.
Bond House
A new house overlooking one of the most picturesque areas on the Broads split the opinion of locals in February, with some comparing it to the lair of a villain from a James Bond film.
The property - made from wood and glass and finished entirely in black - has been built overlooking the dyke connecting Rockland Broad with the nearby staithe, next to the popular Wherryman's Way walking route.
The property itself was approved in 2017 but since it was built objections have grown, reaching boiling point this year.
A traditional thatched marshman's cottage was demolished to make way for the new structure and not everyone in the village was happy with the change.
Cley Fortress
The home of London theatre producer Adam Spiegel and his wife Gay has been part of a decade-long planning battle with North Norfolk District Council.
Things came to a head in 2023 when the Planning Inspectorate decided the home, built in Cley, between Wells and Cromer, must be demolished.
The home has faced criticism from locals with some branding it a "fortress".
The couple have been given a deadline of October 18, 2024, for the house on Holt Road, called Arcady, to be removed from the site.
The couple have since submitted fresh plans to replace the home with a smaller dwelling.
Pig Farm
The decision to pay a farmer public money to stop letting pigs be raised on his land was met with shock when it was unveiled in October.
The highly unusual deal, which council chiefs say will be the first of its kind in the country, is part of a move to reduce the amount of nutrients flowing into Norfolk's waterways - and get housebuilding moving again.
The pig farm, on either side of the A47 bypass south of Norwich, is responsible for producing harmful nutrients which run into two nearby rivers.
By closing it down, the reduction in pollution means that officials will be able to grant permission for 5,000 homes elsewhere in the county.
Pylons
Plans for a 112-mile line of pylons across the countryside continue to draw the concerns of councillors, MPs and campaigners.
The scheme even saw protests held in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex in September.
National Grid said the scheme is needed to take power from wind farms off the Norfolk coast to increase supply as demand increases, while an offshore grid would be costlier to energy bill-payers and have less capacity.
But campaigners say the towering structures would have a devastating impact on the countryside and communities - and that not enough has been done to explore alternative options, such as putting the cables offshore, under the sea.
A planning application for the pylons has yet to be submitted with more details expected next year.
Mousehold McDonald’s
Plans for an 11th McDonald’s branch in Norwich drew massive opposition ahead of the scheme being rejected in September 2022 with a petition gaining almost 250 signatures.
Locals' fears were revived then in August, when the fast food giant launched an appeal with government officials to get the drive-through built on the site of Richard Nash cars in Mousehold Lane, next to the M&S petrol station.
Once again, the plans have been divisive, with city council officials arguing the restaurant would be too reliant on cars.
The appeal should be heard in the new year.
Railway Town
The railway town concept now seems to have hit the buffers after council bosses branded such a development “inappropriate”.
Ahead of the decision, a group Campaign Against New Town, was formed to fight farmland near North Elmham, Billingford and Bintree, between Dereham and Fakenham, from being earmarked for up to 5,000 homes.
It was dubbed a 'railway town' because it would be close to the route of the heritage Mid Norfolk Railway.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here