Plans for 300 new homes in Downham Market have been given the green light, after councillors voted to approve the finer details of the scheme.

The development will go up on the town’s south-western edge, on land between Denver Hill and the A1122.

West Norfolk Borough Council had received 62 objections to the bid, with five supporting the proposals.

Concerns included noise and light pollution and the impact on green space and local services such as doctors, dentists and schools.

Those in favour pointed out that the scheme will provide 60 affordable homes to local young people in Denver and Downham Market.

At a Monday (April 4) meeting of the authority’s planning committee, independent councillor Alun ‘Tom’ Ryves was among those critical of the project.

%image(14391217, type="article-full", alt="Councillor Alun 'Tom' Ryves asked Mr Dark why he had "stabbed" the borough council "in the back".")

He said: “What we’re seeing is an arrangement of uninspired Lego designs, to maximise the yield to the developer, completely ignoring even lip service to Downham’s nickname, ‘the gingerbread town’.”

Chris Calvert, an agent speaking on behalf of the applicants - Prosperity Homes Broadoaks Limited and Koto Limited - insisted however that the design had been “carefully scrutinised” by the council’s planning officers.

“It is reflective of local character, materials - such as carrstone - and contains a significant amount of public open space and a variety of landscaping types,” said Mr Calvert.

Conservative councillor Anthony Bubb said he was “delighted to see that there’s quite a lot of bungalows on this site” adding that “not everybody can cope with stairs”.

The council had in 2017 refused to grant permission in principle for the development, but the developer appealed that decision with the Planning Inspectorate, who overturned the refusal in 2018.

Downham Market Town Council had also objected to the scheme, saying the latest version of the plan bore “no resemblance" to an earlier layout put forward by the developer.

The open space around the homes will include a 50m ‘buffer zone’ on the southwest of the site to minimise the impact on the area’s great crested newts, which will consist of grass with trees, picnic benches and shrubs.

Councillors voted 14 votes in favour, with two against and one abstention.