Breckland councillor Bill Borrett (l) with John Labouchere (c) and Jennie Borgnis (r) from North Elmham Parish Council on the old railway line between North Elmham and County School station. Photo: Bill Borrett Archant Major flaws can today be revealed in a bid to build a new 10,000-home garden town in the countryside. The site of a proposed 10,000 home new garden town in the Norfolk countryside near North Elmham, Photo: Archant Norwich planners Lanpro has put forward proposals for a town the size of Thetford between the villages of North Elmham, Billingford and Bintree in mid-Norfolk. But since we revealed the plans in mid-July the reaction has been fierce. Among the concerns our investigation has found are: The area is earmarked for only 91 homes up to 2036; A heritage railway line to take commuters from the new town can only currently run at 25mph – and does not exist north of the site; The railway trust which owns the line slams as “absurd” a claim by Lanpro about the service’s potential; The project will be rejected for government funding without council backing, which it does not currently have. New garden towns have been given government funding across the country, but they must be supported by local communities, be close to jobs and have green forms of transport. Images from the Lanpro prospectus about the Mid Norfolk Garden Town, Image: Lanpro The town, which would be the fourth largest settlement in Norfolk, would be built on arable farmland off… [Read full story]
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