Right of way row delaying new £11m Silfield primary school

Work on a 420-place primary school at Silfield, near Wymondham, was given the green light last year after being unanimously backed by councillors.

However, the work has been delayed by problems officials had previously described as "land issues".

Now, the cause of the hold-up has been revealed - a row over right of way that has rumbled on for two years.

The site for the school, off Rightup Lane in the village, includes a plot which provides a private right of way for a neighbouring landowner.

Since mid-2022, negotiations between Norfolk County Council and the landowner to provide an alternative access route have been locked in a stalemate.

This has, in turn, prevented the site from being formally transferred to the council from developer Taylor Wimpey and allowing work to begin.

Now, in a bid to bring the long-running dispute to an end, council bosses have agreed to use powers to overrule the individual's right of way.

Officials say the failure to reach an agreement over the right of way is "putting significant pressure" on the council's aim of opening the new school in September 2024.

The move allows the council to, in effect, take ownership of the land and override the individual's right of way - with the owner receiving a compensation payment at a later date. 

The new school building is set to provide 14 classrooms, a central library and resource area and a multi-purpose hall.

Plans for the project were given the green light by the county council's planning committee in June 2023, with councillors unanimously voting in its favour.

It came after four members of the public objected to the scheme, citing concerns over trees being planet near their gardens.

A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said: “In line with our planning obligations, we remain committed to providing land for the school and will continue to engage with Norfolk County Council to deliver this."