Councillors have voted in favour of granting permission for 226 new homes on Parkway in Gaywood, King’s Lynn - but the decision could still be blocked by the government.
The resolution to approve the homes - which would be built on the former College of West Anglia (CWA) playing fields - was made by majority at a meeting of West Norfolk Borough Council’s planning committee on Monday.
It is still possible however that the decision could be “called in” by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to be considered and potentially blocked by secretary of state Michael Gove.
An email sent on behalf of Mr Gove to the council has asked that the authority not issue an official decision notice until his department has had a chance to consider whether to look at the plan themselves.
The council had applied for permission from its own planning department to build the homes - which formed a scaled-back version of an earlier plan for 379 homes on the site.
That earlier plan had been scrapped after concerns were raised over the town losing its “last truly wild place”.
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