Over 100 homes to be built on farmland in Wymondham
The development will cover 6.74 hectares of farmland
Plans to build more than 100 homes in a town just outside Norwich have been approved despite dozens of objections from locals.
Saffron Housing Trust has been given the green light by South Norfolk Council to construct 110 homes on land north of Croft Way in Wymondham.
The development will cover 6.74 hectares of farmland just outside the town’s development boundary and will be delivered as a 100pc affordable housing scheme.
But the decision will leave many locals disappointed.
During the planning process, 44 objections were submitted online, raising concerns about increased traffic, parking pressures and road safety.
One woman, who addressed councillors at Monday’s planning meeting, warned the plans would damage the town’s “existing environmental ambience” and represent further “urban sprawl” into open countryside.
The committee also heard that local infrastructure such as Wymondham Health Centre was already stretched and would be unable to cope with additional demand from new homes.
Despite the objections, planning officers advised the committee to approve the scheme.
Speaking on behalf of the developer, Louisa Nelson said the proposal would deliver “much-needed homes” for the area.
“This proposal represents a sustainable and inclusive form of development that complies with adopted local and national planning policies,” she said.
“Both strongly emphasise the importance of affordable housing delivery.”
Saffron Housing Trust, a not-for-profit provider, manages around 7,000 social homes across the region, including 700 in Wymondham alone.
The application’s approval this week follows a previous proposal for 150 homes from the developer, which was thrown out by the council in 2020.
The new scheme will include 76 homes for affordable rent and 34 for shared ownership, ranging from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom houses and bungalows.
Planning officers acknowledged the development would have an “urbanising impact” on the landscape, but said the harm would be moderate rather than significant.
They added that the benefits carried extra weight as South Norfolk currently cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, triggering the government’s presumption in favour of development.
Backing the plans, Conservative councillor Lisa Overton-Neal said: “This is a really good scheme.
“There are plenty of people out there who are desperate for housing they can afford.”