Norwich Evening News | Monday, June 26, 2017 5 News Could Honingham Thorpe be the location for new 1,000-home village?

Factfile

Local views

Residents are concerned about infrastructure in Easton if new homes are built. Pictured are Mrs Hill and Martin Butcher. Picture: STEVE SHAW

Mrs Hill, a retired resident a car.” living in Easton, said: “If they Martin Butcher, who lives in are going to build new houses Easton but travels into Dereham they need to also put some for work, said he sees traffic infrastructure into this village. problems every day. “The idea The fields around Honingham Thorpe could be home to a new village. Picture: NICK BUTCHER It’s no good building any new of new homes is not good. There houses if there is not the appears to have been no DAN GRIMMER Among the options likely to be houses could be built. infrastructure to support it. discussion on transport. We [email protected] consulted upon are the possibility An extra 1,500 are likely to be in have long tailbacks on the A47 of a new 1,000 home village. , on top of the 7,700 We need a new post office and a already and Longwater can’t And land at Honingham Thorpe, already allocated, with a further shop that sells some essentials cope with the traffic as it is. I between Honingham and Easton, 200 in and Thorpe St because older residents can’t don’t think they have conducted The possible location for a new has emerged as a possible site. Andrew. reach the big supermarkets. We a traffic study and yet we really village in Norfolk has been The various councils had asked A further 1,000 are likely to be also need a doctor’s surgery need one before planning new revealed, ahead of the public landowners, developers and the spread among towns such as Diss, because some people can’t reach homes. There are also very few being asked for their views on public to put forward possible , Wymondham, Long the closest one because you need places at a doctor’s surgery.” where 8,900 homes should be sites for development. Stratton and villages such as built over the next 20 years. Brown and Co, on behalf of Hethersett, Poringland, clients, has put forward 892 acres and . Factfile About 48,500 new homes need to of land in Honingham Thorpe. A further 1,200 could be be built in Greater Norwich - the A potential 534 acres could allocated for smaller villages, but area covered by Norwich City become housing, while 35.5 acres that still leaves 5,000 homes to be ‘Massive dilemmas’ over where homes should go Council, and South could be used for employment, allocated. Norfolk - by 2036, according to with a 200 acre country park and a Options include: concentrating consultants brought in by council nature reserve of just under nine all 5,000 near Norwich; along the There will be “massive bosses. acres. Norwich to Cambridge tech dilemmas” choosing where While the sites for nearly 40,000 Council officers stressed that, corridor (such as in areas near the 8,900 new homes should be of those homes has been although the site has been put Norwich Research Park and the built, council leaders admit. established through various forward, it does not mean homes proposed Food Hub at Easton); blueprints, that leaves sites for will be built there. And they said along other key transport routes A meeting of the Greater 8,900 yet to be identified. other options could come forward. or spreading them out among Norwich Development The public will, in October, be At a meeting yesterday, council numerous towns and villages. Partnership - which includes asked to help decide where the leaders and offices looked at a Public consultation is likely to Norwich City Council, others should go. string of options of where 8,900 take place in October. Broadland District Council and Council - Factfile yesterday provided a glimpse into differing views. John Fuller, leader of South What will happen next? Norfolk Council, is keen to see development further afield. He said people no longer needed to The public will get a say on many - should be put to the villages with limited growth on head to the city for work, where they think the homes public. Norwich fringe and A11. highlighting a man who created should be built - on on specific At the moment, officers have 5. Dispersal and one new music for video games from his sites later this year. put seven options forward: settlement. home in Brockdish. 1. Urban concentration close to 6. Dispersal and urban fringe But Alan Waters, Norwich John Fuller, leader of South Norfolk In the months leading up to Norwich. growth. City Council leader, said wider Council. consultation in October, 2. Focus development on 7. Dispersal, urban fringe dispersal of homes could members of the Greater transport corridors. growth and new settlement. require costly infrastructure Andrew Proctor, leader of Norwich Development 3. Focus development on the The individual councils which and delay getting homes built. Broadland District Council, Partnership (GNDP) will Cambridge to Norwich tech make up the GNDP will also have He added technology said: “There are massive need to reach a consensus corridor. to agree to launch public companies tended to cluster in dilemmas around trying to on what options - and how 4. Dispersing houses to consultation. urban areas. make a choice.”