Reader letter: Why Dereham’s Neighbourhood Plan is a welcome change to the piecemeal development which afflicted the town

After viewing the proposals for Dereham Neighbourhood Plan it is clear this represents a welcome change from the piecemeal development that has afflicted the town in the past.

The plan to build up to 2,000 houses in the south east quarter of the town will attract proper funding to build the infrastructure the town needs and support the case for more health, education and leisure facilities.

It will also provide an opportunity to address the congested market square by introducing pedestrianisation and moving buses to a proper bus station.

I fully support this vision Dereham Town Council is putting forward but would challenge the plan to include some distinctive features that will make Dereham a more attractive place to live.

This could include an emphasis on more local design and build with apprenticeships given to youngsters from the area.

Simply leaving the design and construction to the big five housebuilders will result in slow development of a type seen all around the country. Instead we should look to hold design competitions to have carbon efficient houses with a diverse range of styles to match the needs of residents in the area.

Part of this clearly needs to be aimed at providing good quality affordable housing in significant numbers as part of the overall development.