A 10-year-old Norfolk school girl is calling on a Norfolk council to reconsider a housing development site that could destroy the wildlife behind her home.
Millie Hyett, of Church Meadow, Alpington, has written to South Norfolk Council (SNC) asking them not to include a 25-home site behind her house in the village clusters plan for 1,200 homes in rural areas of South Norfolk.
"I really don’t want 25 new houses built in my village," Millie said in her letter to the council.
"People seem to want them built where lots of lovely wildlife lives. One of the spots is just outside my back garden in Church Meadow.
"I really enjoy feeding the horses who live there and I like watching them play.
"I like watching the bats, owls and deer who also play there. I would be heartbroken if they didn’t have a home anymore.
"I would never in my dreams want more roads, traffic and pollution in our beautiful village.
"I do not want the animal’s habitat ruined.
"Me, my brother and sister and loads more children who live in our village all walk to school.
"Increasing the traffic in the village would make it way more dangerous to walk and cross roads, when we want to make it a safe place to live."
Millie is one of around 30 people to have objected to the plans in the council's consultation, with many echoing the schoolgirl's comments.
Resident Claire Rochford said the plans would effectively turn the village into an estate, adding: "Residents did not move to a small quiet village for their enjoyment of living here to be disrupted.
"Many houses’ gardens will now have their privacy taken away."
Others were concerned the village did not have the infrastructure to support the increase in residents, particularly the local school.
Millie's mum, Helen Hyett, spoke of how proud she was of her for getting involved and delivering leaflets to her neighbours as part of her 'speaking out' Girl Guiding badge.
South Norfolk Council was contacted for comment but has not responded at the time of going to print.
The village clusters plan consultation is open until August 2 and can be found at https://south-norfolk.oc2.uk/document/1/100#d100
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