Town needs development with 1,800 new homes, says MP
Plans to build 1,800 homes in the town are needed to tackle the housing crisis, an MP has said.
North Norfolk Liberal Democrat MP Steffan Aquarone backed the project in North Walsham and said he was receiving daily emails from people desperate to find suitable housing.
But he acknowledged improvements to local services and infrastructure were also needed, leading some local leaders to oppose the plans.
Applications have been submitted for the first phase of 437 homes in the scheme and North Norfolk Council is expected to decide on the proposals later this year.
Aquarone said: “We have hundreds of families who are unable to grow up, cannot be separated from their parents, are temporary residents or have no available accommodation.
“We have a real housing crisis in North Norfolk.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t need to pay a lot of attention to those plans to make sure the infrastructure the town needs comes first.”
More than 400 houses will be built in the first phase between 2028 and 2036 [Lovell Partnerships]
Known as the urban extension of North WalshamThe 259-acre site is reserved for approximately 1,800 homes, care homes, primary schools, open space and workspace.
North Walsham Borough Council voted to oppose the project at a meeting on Tuesday.
Liberal Democrat borough and North Walsham district councilor Lucy Shires also voiced concerns.
In a letter to North Norfolk District Council, he said he was aware of the need for new homes but feared health services could not be improved to meet demand.
He said: “Existing services in North Walsham are already operating under pressure due to above-average long-term health conditions and an aging population requiring complex care.”
The Norfolk and Suffolk Integrated Care System said health services in the region needed to increase capacity to cope with population growth.
A total of Section 106 funding of £2,282,106 was requested from the developers, together with the ambulance service.
Villagers in Coltishall had previously protested against “dangerous” levels of traffic coming through the village [Andrew Turner/BBC]
Another sticking point is the roads in Coltishall to the south.
Broadland Conservative MP Jerome Mayhew said a major increase in traffic traveling on the narrow bridge over the River Bure could cause safety issues.
He said the road was already creating a “significant bottleneck” on the B1150 via Coltishall to Horstead, with vehicles crashing into the pedestrian crossing and trying to pass other motorists.
But Aquarone said North Walsham had good public transport links, including a train station.
“I think one of the reasons why North Walsham has this level of growth capacity is its access to public transport,” he said.
“For example, we all need to use it when commuting to work in the city if we are to save money and at the same time contribute to the fight against climate emissions.”
There were approximately 6,100 homes in North Walsham at the 2021 census [Getty Images]
A spokesman for the consortium of developers and landowners behind the project said improvements would be made to the infrastructure.
He said he was in talks with the NHS about funding improvements to local health services.
Road improvements are also proposed, including a new link road connecting Norwich Road and Cromer Road, and improvements to the Aylsham Road railway bridge and the B1150 at Coltishall.
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