Tom Reed and members of The Townhouse Road Action Group and Costessey Parish Council have been campaigning against the development. Photo by Simon Finlay

A blocked bid to build a housing estate in Costessey should get the go ahead, because a council has not earmarked enough land for housing, a planning appeal heard today.

On the final day of an inquiry into South Norfolk Council’s decision to refuse a planning application for 70 new homes in Townhouse Road, the landowners argued the development would not harm the Tud river valley site and the homes should be built.

But the council said the development would damage the area.

Trevor Ivory, representing the applicants, Martin Green and Norwich Consolidated Charities, told the appeal planning permission should be granted as the reasons for refusal were “wholly lacking in substance”.

He said that as the Greater Norwich Development Partnership (GNDP) area had earmarked housing land supply of just over three years, rather than five, the planning framework meant permission should be given unless the development would cause “significant and demonstrable” harm.

Mr Ivory pointed out that because there was not a five-year land supply, the council’s planning policies were out-of-date.

But Harriet Townsend, acting for the council, said the 70 homes would add just 0.03 years to the land supply target.

She added that the council was looking at other sites to meet the target, with Townhouse Road not included in the plan for future developments.

The council also argued the site’s location went against policies in the Joint Core Strategy (JCS) – a blueprint for future development in Norwich, Broadland and South Norfolk.

Duncan Lister, representing Costessey Parish Council and the Townhouse Road Action Group, who oppose the development, said the public opposition to the homes was not a “knee jerk nimby reaction”.

He said: “The main reason for this opposition is the lasting damage it will do to the Tud valley.”

Mr Lister added the homes would cause “irreparable damage” to the environment.

A decision on the appeal is expected in seven weeks.