Developer wants to build 665-home estate faster

A developer wants to build hundreds of homes in a village faster to "accelerate" housing availability.

Persimmon Homes plans to construct nearly 500 homes at the same time rather than in two staggered phases on land at Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council approved two amendments for the 665-home Mulberry Park estate off Jack Chase Way, where the first phase of 173 homes is already under way.

A further change includes scrapping plans for 10 bungalows and building two-storey family homes instead, but the parish council objected, saying more residents would add to pressure on local services.

Kevin Wood, chairman of Caister Parish Council, said: "If they are going to build bigger houses, there's going to be more residents in those houses.

"The reality is the village can't cope with that. People already have to wait three to four weeks to see a doctor in the village."

Persimmon Homes said making all the houses two storeys would help the council meet government housing targets.

The firm said earlier concerns about noise from a nearby farm, which led to a requirement for 10 of the properties to be bungalows, had eased, as the farm had closed.

It is yet to submit a reserved matters application, which focuses on design and layout, for the two final phases, but said the amendments would give it "greater flexibility".

Persimmon Homes said the development would mean more infrastructure in the village.

There would be road improvements, shops and a health centre. Land has also been allocated for a primary school.

But there was opposition when the plans first emerged and there continues to be concerns.

As well as the 665 homes already approved, Great Yarmouth Borough Council has allocated an additional 435 properties on neighbouring farmland as part of its emerging local plan, a blueprint for development.

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