A housing development in a Norfolk village, built on council-owned land, has hit a major milestone, after every home in their phase one build has been sold.

The development, off Burghwood Drive in Mileham, to the north west of Dereham, has been created by Breckland Bridge, a joint venture partnership between Breckland Council and private developer The Land Group - the same team which delivered the £8m Thetford Riverside leisure complex.

In phase one of the Mileham homes development, seven of the 11 houses were sold on the open market, while four were purchased under a shared ownership scheme, which gives families and first-time homeowners an opportunity to get onto property ladder.

Meanwhile, phase two looks equally promising with one detached house already sold and another two houses under offer.

The speed at which the new properties are being snapped up by locals, goes against the national trend which suggests that the housing market has been slowing in recent years.

Director of the Land Group, David Winch, is very pleased with the progress so far, he said: 'There is a requirement for good quality housing for local communities in Breckland. The success of the Mileham scheme demonstrates that we have provided the right housing type and the right balance of open and shared ownership for this rural location.

Breckland's Executive Member for Growth and Commercialisation, Cllr Adrian Stasiak, added: 'By being directly involved in building new houses in Breckland we have contributed to meeting the housing needs of local people. I'm delighted that all of the first phase homes have now been sold and it looks like the second phase homes are on track to go the same way.'

The next Breckland Bridge project will begin soon in Attleborough, where 10 new homes will be built on land also owned by Breckland Council.

The Council has also recently secured £300,000 funding from a national land release fund to help improve a site in Shipdham, where they may look to develop further housing opportunities in the district in the future.