More than 30 assisted living bungalows could be built in village

Castlemeadow Care wants to create 34 new purpose built bungalows in Swanton Morley, near Dereham, on land adjacent to its existing Lincoln House Care Home.

The proposals submitted to Breckland Council also include a new community hall, with a report prepared for the application stating that the new homes "will provide an opportunity for even more people in the local area to benefit from well supported independent living in older life".

They would be a mixture of one and two bedroom bungalows and 82 new car parking spaces are also included within the plans.

A new access to the site would be created from Dereham Road.

The report states that "each spacious bungalow is equipped with everything needed to enable an older person to lead an independent lifestyle" and that the accommodation offers residents "independence of their own home but with the added security of 24/7 care and support being available".

It also says that a big reason behind the application is "the need to plan for the growing numbers of older people within the Breckland area as a whole", with population estimates given in the report showing that people aged over 65 make up approximately 26.8pc of Breckland's Lincoln ward population.

It adds that the figure is "slightly above the wider Breckland district area figure" and "higher than the national average for England".

The report also outlines that the scheme "would help ease the wider pressures on the housing market as many larger family homes would be made available for growing families to move into, freeing up smaller properties for first time buyers".

However, opposition to the scheme has also been voiced by local residents, including over a potential increase in traffic and the road next to the site being dangerous.

Additional fears over the danger of the proposed access to the site and the loss of agricultural land have also been expressed.

Breckland Council will now make a decision on the application.