Work on an 88-home scheme in Hingham has started, after the first spade was put in the ground.

Hingham Town Council chairman Peter Eldridge and Tom Cowin, of the Hingham Society, were at the 9.1-acre site off Norwich Road to watch as ground was ceremonially broken.

South Norfolk Council's planning committee green-lighted the Abel Homes plans in March.

The new development will be called The Hops, after the land's former owner, 19th century brewer Charles Crawshay.

Public open space is included within the scheme and Watton-based Abel Homes will continue its promise to create a piece of artwork on each of its sites.

Mr Eldridge said: 'Hingham has been designated for 100 new homes by South Norfolk Council, and I am pleased that we will see the majority of these built in one go, by a local house builder. I have seen Abel homes in Watton, and with their solar panels they are highly energy-efficient, which is good for the climate, and something I would like to see more of.'

The new homes will be made up of one, two, three and four-bedroom houses and bungalows. Twenty-eight will be affordable homes.

Tony Abel, managing director of Abel Homes, said: 'We are delighted to be bringing much-needed family homes to Hingham, a town I like very much –it has everything you need and is well placed geographically. In fact we built our very first new homes in Hingham exactly 20 years ago.'

What do you think of the new homes? Email lauren.cope@archant.co.uk