A scheme which will bring more than 300 homes to the peripheries of Norwich Airport has been approved by councillors, after airport bosses withdrew their objections.

Concerns had been raised that a major homes development in Old Catton, close to airport land, would prove problematic for flight safety, with the airport's safeguarding team identifying a variety of issues.

Developers Taylor Wimpey had already received outline permission for the scheme, which would see 328 homes built on land off St Faith's Lane - a combination of market and affordable housing.

However, during the consultation stage, Norwich International Airport made it known it would object to the plans unless a variety of conditions were met.

The reserved matters application went before Broadland District Council's planning committee on Wednesday, where councillors were told the airport was satisfied with the developer's efforts to mitigate their fears.

Jordan Last, senior planning co-ordinator at Taylor Wimpey, said: 'We have been in constant communication with the airport and they are satisfied that what has been designed will not in any way compromise air safety.

'We will continue to work with them throughout the development process.'

Much of the airport's concerns came around the developer's bid to remove a condition from the original permission preventing any open water features on the site.

There were fears that a proposed attenuation basin at Meadow Parkland would become an attractive habitat for birds, thus increasing the risk of birds colliding with planes.

However, the committee was told it would take prolonged spells of heavy rain for the basin to be filled with water for any significant length of time and that officers were satisfied that removing the condition would not pose this threat.

Concerns were also raised around whether the basin, which is close to where a child's playground is to be placed, would pose a safety risk to people living on the site.

Mr Last said the developers would have no objections to the feature being fenced off if necessary.

Both the reserved matters application, and that to remove the condition were voted through by the committee, with four votes in favour of it and four abstentions.