Planning Inspectorate blocks 44 new homes in Swaffham

Plans for new housing on the western side of South Pickenham Road, in Swaffham, have been twice refused by Breckland Council due to concerns about the impact of new housing on the landscape.

The developers behind the scheme, Parker Planning Services, appealed to the government's Planning Inspectorate to overturn this ruling. 

However, the project has once again been blocked due to fears about it having a "harmful urbanising effect" on the area.

The developers argued their application had been refused on "spurious grounds" and said Breckland Council had been repeatedly harsh in its decision making. 

The proposed development site in Swaffham (Image: Google Maps) The application was refused for the first time in December 2022 and blocked again a year later, with council officers describing the plans as "visually intrusive" on the countryside setting approaching Swaffham. 

A spokesman for the developers said: "We believe this application was refused on spurious grounds and have nevertheless sought to provide additional information and evidence.

"The site is not special or protected in any way and has no conservation or heritage impacts."

The government inspector considering the case dismissed claims of inconsistency in the council’s decision-making when approving another housing scheme in the town. 

This would see 150 homes, ranging from one to four bedrooms, built across a 15-acre site off Sporle Road.

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The inspector said: "The proposal would be major residential development and would contribute to the supply of housing in the area. 

However, I have found there is not a shortfall in the area's supply and there is a realistic prospect that similar benefits would arise through development of other deliverable sites.

"This development would have an urbanising effect on the site and would result in the loss of the open, undeveloped character of the countryside."