The prospect of a new town being built in the Norfolk countryside is rising again after two councils agreed to appoint a senior officer to oversee the project.
South Norfolk and Broadland councils are to recruit a "new settlement project manager" to accelerate efforts to make such a vision a reality.
The new officer will work for both authorities but if there is to be a new town in the county, it is likely to be in the South Norfolk district, where leaders believe it will help relieve the pressure for extra housing in existing communities.
The policy is likely to prove controversial, however, with campaigners warning there are no suitable sites for a new town.
Such proposals are not new. Areas near Hethel, Silfield and Horningham Thorpe have previously been suggested as locations for new towns.
However, last September the prospects for a new Norfolk town appeared to fade when South Norfolk was not selected by the government as one of 12 areas for such a settlement.
The chances are now reviving as a result of the new council post.
The role will be part-funded by a £40,000 government bursary following a bid by the councils. The authorities will fund the rest of the cost.
Officials say it will “significantly increase internal capacity and enhance the ability of officers to progress the new settlement work programme”.
Daniel Elmer, the Conservative leader of South Norfolk Council, has been a leading voice in support of a new town.
He said: “We have always said we do not want any more housing in South Norfolk going on to existing settlements.
“If we have to have new houses we would rather do it from scratch with the infrastructure in place.”
He said many of the existing towns and villages in his district are already “at their limit”.
NEW TOWN FOR NORFOLK?
Norwich City Council, Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council are all having to find sites which would provide almost 2,600 homes a year between now and 2046.
The targets have led to pressure for housing in areas of the countryside in South Norfolk.
Among those to be considered was a settlement near Horningham Thorpe, which was first mooted 10 years ago, with the possibility of building 4,000 homes across nearly 900 acres.
But it came to nothing after opponents argued it would ruin the countryside.
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