40 affordable homes planned for west Norfolk village
The new development is planned for land off Thieves Bridge Road in Watlington.
Last updated 6th Sep 2022
Some 40 affordable homes are set to be built in a west Norfolk village, despite concerns over local school provision, library services and sewage capacity.
The new development off Thieves Bridge Road in Watlington, was granted permission by a majority of councillors at a meeting on Monday, 5 September.
But despite 100pc of the homes being proposed as affordable, a number of worries about the strain on local services were voiced by members of West Norfolk Borough Council’s planning committee.
Independent councillor Jo Rust said that while she was “initially really excited” by the proposal, she was worried about whether the homes would provide enough space for growing families, and she questioned whether the local school had enough capacity.
She added that the financial contribution, proposed to be given by Freebridge to help fund local library services, would only go so far, given that the library provision in the village is proposed to be self-service.
“It seems that they the county council are taking money for a couple of Mills and Boon romances, which they’ll put in the local phone box,” she said.
Independent opposition leader Terry Parish meanwhile pointed to a warning from the Environment Agency about the area’s sewage capacity, saying it is currently insufficient for the 40 new homes. Anglian Water said there would be enough capacity in place by the time the homes have been built.
Paul Newbold, development director at Freebridge Community Housing, told the committee that “the potential increase in interest rates and energy costs will increase demand for new affordable homes” and that the project at Watlington, among others planned across the borough, would help to meet that demand.
Independent councillor Alun ‘Tom’ Ryves later asked whether there should not be some private housing on the site, rather than it all be classed as affordable, “in the interest of balance for this community”.
An officer said that funding issues had prevented Freebridge from putting any market housing forwards, and the committee’s Conservative chair, Vivienne Spikings, added: “Also, look at the housing list. There’s a great need for these. There’s hundreds on that housing list…
“I have people coming to me desperate for a home, for a flat, for a room. There’s nothing. We have to go forward.”
The council voted by majority in favour of the scheme, with just three against and one abstention.