Permission to build three new homes in a Norfolk village has been rejected once more, after an inspector upheld Breckland Council’s decision to refuse them.

The council had looked at the plan for the homes on land off Gateley Road in Brisley - between Dereham and Fakenham - early last year.

In a March 2021 decision notice rejecting the proposal, the authority warned the homes could “harm a visually important gap that contributes to the character and distinctiveness of the rural scene”.

It also had concerns about highway safety.

The applicant, Garrod Developments Ltd, then appealed against the decision with the Planning Inspectorate.

In a report published this month, inspector Martin Chandler said the homes would not harm the area’s character, appearance or highway safety.

He judged however that building them on the field proposed would not “round off” the built-up area of the village and would therefore fail to meet the requirements of Breckland’s local plan - a document outlining how the district should grow over the coming years.

The appeal was dismissed.