Brancaster Town Lane homes set for approval amid objections

The unknown developer wants to demolish one existing property in Tree Lane in Brancaster and build seven new houses.

But locals fear they will likely end up being used as holiday homes unless they are offered at affordable prices, worrying there will be no one left living in the village in the near future. 

The homes could be built on the Cherry Trees plot in Town Lane, Brancaster (Image: Google)

There have been 24 objections to the development, with a number of people complaining that there is no policy to restrict the homes to permanent villagers.

It led to a number of people calling for there to be an allocation of affordable housing in the plans - something that is much needed in Brancaster.

Others also complained too many houses were hoped to be built and that it would cause problems with traffic and noise in the quiet community.

READ MORE: Where the most second homes are in Norfolk

With its location close to the Norfolk coastline, Brancaster has become a highly desirable location for second homeowners, which has pushed up property prices to eye-watering levels, making it unaffordable for many locals.

Brancaster's beach is a big draw for visitors (Image: Ian Burt)

The issue of second homes is a growing concern among coastal communities in Norfolk.

It was raised at parliament in May, with MPs calling on the government to take action to prevent these in-demand towns and villages from becoming 'ghost towns.'

In Brancaster, there is at least some good news, as after a row of terraced houses were destroyed during the 2022 summer wildfires, 10 affordable homes are set to rise from the ashes.

But planning officials have given the green light to the proposal, which is to be decided at an upcoming West Norfolk Council planning committee meeting next week.

The approval would be subject to a number of conditions, which include the allocation of one affordable home through a Section 106 agreement.