Controversial Yaxham housing development green lit as council drop plans for judicial review
There are plans to build more homes between the villages of Yaxham and Clint Green, south of Dereham. Image: GOOGLE MAPS - Credit: Archant
A Norfolk parish council has 'disappointed' residents with their decision not to request a judicial review into a proposed development of 25 homes on the edge of the village.
Lanpro hopes to build the homes off Norwich Road between Yaxham and CLint Green. Image: FROM LANDPRO PLANNING APPLICATION - Credit: Archant
Yaxham Parish Council held an extraordinary meeting to discuss asking for a judicial review into a development proposed between the neighbouring villages of Yaxham and Clint Green.
But after seeking legal advice the council decided a review would not be cost effective, despite opposition to the bid, which had been refused twice.
Yaxham resident, Andrew Thorpe, said: 'This is about destroying the fabric of a small village.'
He described the extraordinary parish council meeting, held on Thursday, June 14, as 'very packed' and said: 'A lot of people turned up to hear what happened.
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'We only discovered that the planning inspectorate overturned the appeal three weeks ago.'
The development, proposed by Norwich-based planners Lanpro, on behalf of their clients, Glavenhill Strategic Land, was refused by Breckland District Council in March 2017 and again in August, after it was decided that the new homes would harm the open countryside.
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But in May this year the decision was overturned by the planning inspectorate, who gave the development the green light.
But its opponents say the new homes threaten the future of the Yaxham Neighbourhood Plan, which sets out the village's planning priorities over the next few years.
Mr Thorpe, a Norfolk County Council by-election candidate, added: 'This is driving a coach and horses through a very well thought out local plan - which was supported by 92pc of the village in a local referendum.
'We have come to the end of the road on these houses, but [there are] concerns about a Trojan horse effect.
'The parish council are aware and we need to fight this every step of the way
'I'm disappointed for the village. This is not nimby-ism as some people might think. There are genuine concerns about the environment, the infrastructure, the schools and the drainage.'
Yaxham parish council chairman, Peter Lowings, said: 'We took a barrister's advice whether it was worthwhile pursuing a judicial review.
'In light of that the parish council took the decision not to.'
