Plans to create a storage unit in a rural village have been called 'odd' by councillors in a planning meeting.

North Norfolk District Council met at the chamber in Cromer to discuss the plans for the commercial unit in Sustead.

The site on The Street, which was used at a scaffold yard from 2009, would see 14 shipping containers of storage and another 10 open storage areas towards the back of the site.

Sustead Parish council objected to the plans stating: "The scaffolding yard has been closed for some time and prior to its closure traffic had been minimal.

"The increased traffic would be unacceptable into a village which is already struggling with traffic speeds, particularly on the slight bend near the entrance to this site.

"A small rural residential village is not the place for this storage facility, the residential houses adjoining the site will be severely impacted both with traffic and noise."

A total of four public objections were made with the common issues surrounding noise, extra traffic and the affect on wildlife in the area.

Sustead Town council continued: "Sustead is an area of natural beauty and the containers are not sympathetic with the surroundings.

"The Ecological Appraisal has completely omitted the Felbeck Trust land on both Sustead Common and Spurrels wood. Both are areas of conservation and natural beauty within 1km of the proposed site."

Although the officer recommended the approval of the application, councillors voted unanimously to defer the decision until a new highway report was completed and checks were made to see if the 2009 change of use to a scaffold unit were still valid.

Leader of the council Sarah Butikofer said: "As the county councillor for this area, this is another place that I receive a number of emails about. There is no speed limit on this road and there are lots of bends.

"The fact that this permission is commercial instead of residential is very odd."

The site also borders with Wendy Cottage, where Mrs Williamson lives. She said: "This as a whole for the village is not suitable and express my concerns. As a whole, my family have been here for a substantial amount of years and would like our countryside to be thought of."