New homes will soon be under construction in Norfolk's 'bottleneck village', despite concerns that even more traffic will be funnelled through its busy main street.

Proposals for 30 new homes in Coltishall have been given the green light by Broadland Council after years of setbacks.

The plans for a development on land east of Rectory Road, just south of the Bure Valley Railway line, were met with dozens of objections from local people.

They fear it will worsen congestion in what is increasingly becoming a bottleneck for huge volumes of traffic travelling between Norwich and a large area of north Norfolk.

Coltishall, on the Norfolk Broads, has one of the few bridges over the River Bure, which funnels traffic into the village.

The proposals were previously given approval by the council in 2022 but have been held up while the applicants addressed nutrient neutrality issues - rules designed to mitigate the impact of developments on water pollution.

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Villagers described the plans as "absolute insanity" and said the increased pressure on Rectory Road would be an "accident waiting to happen". 

However, despite the widespread opposition, only one local representative spoke at the pivotal meeting of Broadland Council's planning committee. 

John Shirley, who lives in Rectory Road, told councillors he believed the development would result in "environmental harm". 

The development, which will include 10 affordable homes, was unanimously approved by the committee.