Plans for 180 new homes in Caistor St Edmund approved

South Norfolk Council gave the green light for the development in Caistor St Edmund, on the outskirts of Norwich, at a meeting on Wednesday.

The highly controversial proposals, which include a new school and country park, have sparked huge concerns in the area.

They have been strongly opposed by locals since they were unveiled, with around 30 members of the public turning up to the meeting of the council's planning committee.

Despite impassioned speeches from objectors, councillors ultimately voted in favour of the application. 

The land behind Caistor Lane in Caistor St Edmund where a new development has been approved (Image: Danielle Booden) The 180-home scheme also includes a 420-place primary school, new village hall and a 63-acre country park - roughly equivalent to 126 football pitches. 

Locals believe the estate, which would be built on land to the north of Caistor Lane, will increase the strain on local services and heap pressure on local roads.

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The highways department at Norfolk County Council had previously shared this view and repeatedly objected to the development stating it would "likely give rise to conditions detrimental to highway safety".

However, this objection was recently dropped in light of new information submitted by the developers, which addressed the council's earlier concerns. 

Jon Clover, speaking on behalf of Caistor Lane Action Group, said there were "serious and unresolved" fears about highway safety in the area. 

Jeanette Utting, chairman of Caistor St Emund and Bixley Parish Council, added: "This development will turn already inadequate roads into dangerous bottlenecks.

"The scheme will double the number of properties in our rural parish and push our villages closer together, damaging the countryside."

South Norfolk Council has received more than 200 objections over the course of the last few years in relation to this application. 

Jeanette Utting and Jon Clover at South Norfolk Council's offices (Image: Eleanor Storey) Speaking at the meeting, councillors said they needed to approve the plans due to South Norfolk Council being unable to demonstrate a five-year land supply. 

Without this, councils lose control over where new homes are built and the door is left open for developers to win permission for housing sites that aren't allocated in a plan.

Following the decision, Ms Utting said: "Everyone is bitterly disappointed. This is the end of our village as we know it."

Lisa Overton-Neal, district councillor for Caistor St Edmund, said: "Since the election things have changed and the new government has demanded that we build more houses and declared our local plan, that took years to agree, out of date.

"The government has also revoked our five-year land supply, meaning that if the committee was to refuse this application that decision would likely be overturned by the government and the wishes of local people overridden by the government's increased housing demands."