People in Cringleford have questioned a 'nightmare' future of excessive house-building at a public consultation event in the village.

The parish council has called on the public to have their say on plans which would bring an extra 1,200 homes to the area.

They want to use people's responses to form the basis of a new neighbourhood plan.

And the verdict from villagers on Friday was that while houses needed to be built, 1,200 was too many; wildlife and the village community could be damaged; and there was a lack of joined-up thinking by the planners and authorities concerning infrastructure including roads and the local amenities.

Retired finance worker John Stubbs, 64, from Colney Lane, said: 'I'm shocked by the sheer size of the development. People just seem to think 'Bang in as many houses as you can', but it has not been demonstrated that it has been thought out.

'The local surgery will be stretched.

'We already have accidents at Thickthorn roundabout because of converging cars, and now huge volumes will be added.

'It'll be a nightmare.'

More than once the development at nearby Round House Park, launched in June 2007 and covering 40 hectares, was sighted as a poor example of development.

Nick and Lotte Cooper from Colney Lane, both retired, have lived in the area for 20 years.

Mrs Cooper said: 'It was a lovely village, but we are seeing it ruined by excessive house building.

'At Round House Park, they have just crammed it all in, it is unbelievable.

'I used to see such amazing wildlife, not anymore. Rabbits that were there are now swamping nearby areas and have become a pest; before they were fine.'

Frank Tucker, a retired architect from just off Colney Lane, said he felt there was a 'definite edge going to the developers over protected areas,' and government planning is 'shaking the foundations of established facts, such as the need for important green lungs to be protected.'

Charles Birch, from Brown and Co who own land where 600 houses are proposed, said: 'We know the parish council identified Round House park as a failure. It doesn't connect or integrate with the village.

'The houses are going to be built, and what we like about what the parish is doing is it give people the chance to say what they want to see that maybe they didn't see with the Round House development.

'It means if there are things that really matter to them, those things will float to the surface.'

What do you think? Write to Evening News Letters, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE or email eveningnewsletters@archant.co.uk.

The Evening News has been examining housing plans for the Greater Norwich Development Partnership (GNDP) area in a series in print and online. To read it and to have your say visit www.eveningnews24.co.uk.