Norfolk County Council approves £3m Hunstanton new homes

County councillors gave the go-ahead for the independent living accommodation aimed at people aged 55 and over on land off the A149 King's Lynn Road in Hunstanton.

But questions have been raised about whether enough is been done to meet the growing need for similar housing in Norfolk.

61 new homes are to be built on land off the A149 in Hunstanton (Image: Chris Bishop)

At a cabinet meeting, Shelagh Gurney said: "This is a very exciting opportunity to increase the offer we have for Norfolk for this type of living and care.

"I’d like to see a lot more of it but we are obviously governed by the restrictions on the budget at the moment although it is something that I think is very favourable for the future."

The housing is to be delivered with not-for-profit social landlord Places for People, creating 11 two-bed and 50 one-bed apartments which will be offered as affordable housing for people who need extra care and support.

The development is part of a wider investment of £29m to create similar independent living housing schemes in Norfolk.

Brenda Jones, county councillor for Lakenham and Tuckswood (Image: Labour Party)

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However, Brenda Jones feared not enough was been done to meet the needs in Norfolk, arguing that 500 new homes every year will need to be built by 2028.

Alison Thomas, cabinet member for adult and social services, said in response: "We have a healthy pipeline of specialist housing schemes which are currently in confidential pre-planning stages.

"Nutrient Neutrality has caused delays of over 18 months to housing development progress across a wide area of Norfolk, and some of our own Independent Living schemes have also been caught up in this delay.

"We are confident our colleagues in housing authorities are getting closer to a solution so we can get on with business and continue to bring much needed specialist housing for our residents."