Plans to build 323 new homes in Wymondham have been delayed due to concerns from councillors.

Persimmon Homes has been asked to reconsider details regarding housing mix, design and an access point by South Norfolk Council's planning committee.

Councillors voted to defer their decision on the application, which includes the construction of the homes on 12.1 hectares (about 30 acres) of arable land to the north of Norwich Common. The proposals already have outline planning approval.

Colin Foulger, who represents Wymondham, supported the development in principle, but added that details needed fine tuning.

'Wymondham is scheduled for a large increase in residential properties and I think it's been amply demonstrated that these developments set examples for other developers,' he said. 'We should grasp the opportunity to make a good scheme and hold it up to other applications to say this is the standard we're looking for.'

One concern regarded the omission of bungalows on the site and Pauline Allen said: 'If this was a smaller development it may be acceptable, but we're taking about more than 300 here. It's saying that a disabled person, old or young, will have to be confined to the ground floor and adapt the house or they install a stair lift.'

Nearby homeowner Brenda Ford said concerns had also be raised about an access point between the new development and nearby Whispering Oaks, which crossed a private road called Downham Grove.

She said: 'There will be quite a lot of vehicles using it (the access) and we need assurances that those vehicles will not be able to make left or right turns coming into the private drove...It's very important that something is sorted to make sure it is a cross-over only.'

Darren Cogman, of planning consultant Bidwells, who represented Persimmon Homes, said: 'Concerning access on Downham Grove, there were detailed drawings submitted some time ago which have been agreed with the highway authority. They included bollards and signage on Downham Grove to prevent traffic from the road coming into the scheme.'

He added that the site's layout, housing design, mix and landscaping had been agreed in consultation with the council's planning officers over a period of several months.

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