The National Trust faces fresh flak over its controversial bid to build a new visitor centre beside a remote, unspoilt harbour.

More than 400 people have objected to the organisation's plans to upgrade its facilities at Morston, near Holt.

Protestors include Morston Parish Council, which has branded the development "abhorrent".

An artist's impression of the proposed new visitor centre (Image: National Trust) Now a senior official at North Norfolk council, which will decide the planning application, has weighed in on the debate.

A report by Cathy Batchelar, the council's senior landscape officer, warns Morston lies within an area of saltmarsh with "the highest national and international designations in relation to its landscape and ecological value".

She adds: "Given this most sensitive undeveloped context, the landscape section raise concerns relating to the large scale of the proposed new visitor centre and consider that it would not be readily assimilated into the highly designated landscape.

Looking down the harbour creek towards Morston Looking down the harbour creek towards Morston (Image: Chris Bishop)

"At 26m in length, 5.3m to 8.4m wide and 3.4m high it will dominate the whole of the quay area and will appear wholly out of context and scale with the few other built structures in the area.

"A large amount of space within the building is given over to staff facilities. In this highly sensitive location, it is not appropriate to significantly expand the staff facilities."

It adds the trust  has a base in a less-sensitive location at nearby Blakeney, which could be adapted to provide extra space.

The current toilet block at Morston, which the National Trust says needs to be upgradedThe current toilet block at Morston, which the National Trust wants to upgrade (Image: Chris Bishop) The report adds a smaller building would be "more readily accommodated into the quayside context".

 Morston parish councillor Rob Metcalfe said: "It asks all the right questions."

He added the compromise of a smaller building was something the parish council had suggested.

The unspoilt harbour at MorstonThe unspoilt harbour at Morston (Image: Chris Bishop) The National Trust has so far stuck to its guns, saying it does not intend to withdraw its planning application.

But in a hint it might change tack, it has also issued a statement saying comments regarding the development were being reviewed.

A date has not yet been set for a decision to be made over the centre.