Developers behind proposals to build homes on a former Norwich sports club site could rethink the scheme after opposition from families living nearby.

Fresh plans for the former Lakenham Sports and Leisure Centre site were put forward last month, after it stood empty for more than three years.

Scrap metal entrepreneur Andre Serruys had been consulting with families over his plans for the Cricket Ground Road site.

The proposals included the north part of the site being developed for housing, while a sports centre or a care facility and 28 affordable homes was mooted for the other section.

But families raised concerns over the loss of public open space and Norwich City Council last week removed the site from a blueprint for development.

Inclusion on the site allocations plan can give applications a smoother ride through planning and council leader Steve Morphew said the opposition in Lakenham had led them to remove this scheme.

But he added any future scheme would still be decided on its own merits by the council's planning committee

A spokesman for Serruys Property Company Ltd said that decision could see the scheme revised.

He said: 'The land is currently private and not available for access by the general public.

'The owner's consultants, LandPro, are now investigating whether it is viable to part develop the site so as to incorporate a new large public park and to ease pressures on public green space locally, even though a large part of the site has already been taken by the Norfolk County Council as a school playing field and available for community use.'

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