Proposals to build almost 200 homes on the edge of a Norfolk village have been approved - but only after an extraordinary chain of events at a planning meeting.
Members of Broadland District Council's planning committee voted twice not to agree to plans for 100 homes in Acle, as well as 90 retirement apartments for over 55s, a country park and car park.
But, after the intervention of the council's monitoring officer, whose job is to ensure councils follow their own constitution, councillors backtracked and agreed to approve the application.
Crocus Homes' plans for the development on 50 acres of farmland off Leffins Lane had triggered opposition from villagers and countryside campaigners.
The site was not allocated in the council's Local Plan - a blueprint which details where housing developments were most likely to be acceptable - but officers had recommended approval.
Acle Parish Council, which had objected, said: "There are already two other allocated sites, to the west of Acle, expected to provide at least 200 homes.
"The infrastructure of the village cannot accommodate a further 200 homes on top of this allocation."
Eleanor Laming, Green district councillor for Brundall, objected and branded it an "opportunistic" attempt to secure permission on land not allocated in the local plan.
The committee then voted, by four votes to three, not to accept the officer recommendation of approval.
Stuart Clancy, Conservative councillor for Taverham South proposed the committee reject the scheme, including because it was outside the village development area.
However, officers said they were worried that they could struggle to defend rejection at appeal and the committee voted by five to two not to back his refusal proposal.
Bibin Baby, Labour councillor for Sprowston East, then recommended approval, but the vote was tied at four votes in favour and four against.
It came down to the casting vote of his Labour colleague Adrian Tipple, who was chairing the meeting because its original chair Ms Laming, having objected to the proposal, could not do so.
Mr Tipple voted against approval, sparking confusion as to what would happen next.
Planning officers postponed the meeting to seek advice from the monitoring officer Emma Hodds.
When it reconvened, she told the meeting she had "reminded" members of the planning committee of their role.
She said she had told them, if they were going to go against the recommendation of officers and reject the scheme they needed to have "good planning policy reasons".
After that, it was agreed to go back to the original officer recommendation to approve, which councillors did by five votes to three.
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